The Mummy Returns Again
by HyalineReverie
Summary: Several years after the second movie, Alex O'Connell, now 19, teams up with his uncle and a fascinating young lady to save the world from another Egyptian threat. Can they all put up with each other to do what they must? Better than it sounds.
1. Working Late

**Author's Note:** I just want to clarify that I do _not _own 'The Mummy' or 'The Mummy Returns', along with any of their characters. I did, however, invent any new characters introduced to this storyline such as Femi Reynolds, Carter Reynolds, and any other's who you do not recognise from the movies. I created this storyline, also, so don't go accusing me of stealing . Right, so, now that the boring announcement is out of the way, let's get on with the damn thing! Rawr!

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All was quiet inside London's Museum Of Antiquities; not even the clock ticked loud enough for anyone to hear. The dark night blackened out the windows, which only made the glowing lights seem all the more eerie inside the mysterious building. In the mysterious silence, all of the artefacts such as the mummified skeletons and cased weapons and vases were given the impression of life. Although this Museum wasn't the highest rated in London, seeing as it was far out on the edge of the Central area near the country lands, it was still full of surprising ancient collections.

If anyone had been standing there, at that very moment, they would have felt the presence of the past, no doubt. However, all the silence of the Museum was broken as a high-pitched, girly giggle sounded out...

"Sssshhhh! You're going to get us caught, my lovely." A man chuckled.

The girl giggled back, quieter this time, and two figures jogged through the doorway into the next room of the museum. One of them was a man in his early twenties with dark-brown hair, wearing brown trousers, a white shirt and a dark-blue blazer. He was holding the hands of a rather pretty redheaded girl who was wearing a black sparkling dress which revealed a lot more flesh than a normal day-time dress would. These two had clearly been out in the City for the earlier hours of the night.

The girl looked around at the artefacts with an excited, amused smile upon her face. The blonde man led her through an archway with hieroglyphics carved into it and then spun her round to him, causing her to yelp another giggle. He chuckled softly and walked her back in between two shelves until she was pressed up against the wall.

"Mmmm... now, where were we?" The man asked.

She girl smiled and snaked her arms over his shoulders "I think... just here."

They both smiled and started kissing each other hungrily. As their hands began roaming upon each other's bodies, the blonde-haired man picked her up around her waste and walked her over to the back of the dark, little room they had entered. He walked a few paces and then suddenly stopped, and lowered the girl down upon her back into a sarcophagus that obviously wasn't being used. She girl laughed against his lips and gladly laid herself down, bringing him on top with her. Meanwhile, as the two of them began to explore each other's bodies once more, a new light entered on the other side of the room.

It came from an oil-lamp, held by an attractive young girl who seemed to be around the age of nineteen. She had dark-brown hair that fell into elegant curls down to the middle of her well-postured back, and she had golden hazel eyes that stood out like diamonds in the darkness. She wore a black vest which had attractive zigzag patterns upon it and a little grey cardigan with tight, black trousers and leather knee-high boots. Although she wasn't wearing the typical clothing of a woman, she still looked remarkably feminine in all aspects, most particularly her figure.

She narrowed her eyes in suspicion and began slowly walking across the room, looking around as though searching for something. She heard a short moan and froze in her tracks; she knew they were here somewhere. Holding her oil-lamp up a little higher, she turned around the sarcophagus which had a mummified skeleton inside of it and spotted the archway not far away.

"Right..." She snapped under her breath.

A girly giggle called out from the darkness of the archway and, with a determined crease in her smooth brown, she tiptoed over to it. Once there, she could hear the definite sounds of heavy breathing and pleasured moans and whimpers. She rolled her eyes and stepped into the little room to find, as she had expected, her older brother 'socialising' with another woman. Little did she foresee that he would be lying in one of the Museum's precious property!

"Carter Howard Reynolds!" She gasped angrily.

Carter and the woman underneath him jumped in surprise and, as Carter quickly scrambled out of the sarcophagus, the woman followed behind him with a bit of struggle. She almost fell out of the bed, but Carter caught her just in time before she managed to hit the ground.

"Oh!... F-femi-doodle, lovey... sweetness!" Carter chuckled nervously.

Femi narrowed her eyes and gave a shake of her head "Don't try to blandish me with your puerile appellations, Carter - I've caught you red-handed!"

The woman next to him froze in shock and, stroking down her hair neatly, looked over at Carter "Um... am I missing something here?"

Femi looked at the girl and sighed angrily "Do you know who this man is?"

"Carter Reynolds..." She replied in confusion.

Femi nodded "Exactly. _Carter Reynolds_. The world's largest contumacious, indolent, ignoramus."

"Oh come on, Femi, you know I"-

"_Don't_" Femi snapped "Get her out of here."

The redheaded woman frowned in offence and Carter wrapped his arm around her "Come on." He grunted.

Femi stepped aside to let Carter and the woman pass and then gave another tired, annoyed sigh to herself. The woman looked up at Carter in suspicion and raised an eyebrow.

"I thought you said you didn't have a girlfriend..." She snapped.

Carter stared ahead in annoyance "I don't... she's my _sister_."

Femi walked out of the dark, little room and slowly followed on behind her brother and his new female friend. It was so typical of him to do something like that. Femi wasn't even sure why she was so angry; she should have been used to his selfish ways by now. Although she loved him dearly and knew he had a soft, genuine side to him, she still disliked how mischievous he was.

They all walked out into the entrance hall where the ceiling was in the shape of a magnificent dome and had paintings of the universe upon it and a large staircase moved up onto the next level at the back of it. They all walked past the bottom of the stairway and Carter opened the doors to walk down the few concrete steps which lead to the cobbled parking area. Femi stood at the top of the steps and, one hand crossed in front of her stomach and the other holding her oil-lamp, watched Carter wave his hand to a taxis that was sitting across the parking lot; it was obviously the taxi that they had been driven to the Museum in.

The taxi started up and slowly drove round to stop in front of Carter and the lady, and Carter kissed her sweetly on the lips. Femi rolled her eyes at this and shook her head in annoyance. How many times had she seen Carter play these games? Millions. Carter opened the car door for her and then shut it after she had gotten it, and she waved reluctantly to him. Femi could tell that she really liked him. Oh, how she despised her brother for what that poor girl was going to feel when she realised he was never going to call her or see her again.

Carter stepped away from the taxi and didn't stop waving until it drove around the corner and off up the road, out of sight. He lowered his hand with a heavy sigh and, slipping his hands into his trouser pockets, stared at the road in silence for a few minutes. Femi waited impatiently for him to turn around or say something, but he didn't.

"We have a serious problem here, Carter." She spoke out.

Carter turned his head to the side slightly "I know - that grey cardigan really doesn't go with that vest... Have you tried maroon? I think it would bring out your eyes perfec"-

"_Carter_!" Femi snapped irritably.

Carter closed his eyes in apprehension; he knew he was about to get a never-ending scolding from his younger sister. And so, he opened his eyes and turned around with a look of exhausted carelessness written across his handsome face. Femi paused for a second with her lips parted and observed her brother's countenance; he often resembled their mother in so many ways, catching her off-guard.

"Go on then - beat me black and blue with your bloody outrageous vocabulary." Carter sighed, and then began walking up the steps towards her.

Femi snapped back into her angry self and, ignoring his comment, turned and walked back into the Museum behind him "Carter - it's iniquitous enough as it is that you treat women the way you do - but to bring your ignominious affairs into the middle of my career?! - It's atrocious!" She gasped.

Carter rolled his eyes and shook his head "Come on, love, you know I'm not a player... I'm just trying to... find that special someone."

Femi snorted angrily "Call me delusional, but I always deliberated that the proper way of finding your one true love was _not_ by stealing women's hearts and then leaving them to wallow in melancholy for the rest of their lives!"

Carter snickered and walked past the stairway and back into one of the display rooms. Femi quickened her pace and, setting her oil-lamp down on an ancient table, skidded round upon her brother and blocked his path. She held her finger up at him commandingly and he leant back with a raised eyebrow.

"Women have feelings, Carter, believe it or not... I won't have you setting yourself a reputation like this - you're not that big buffoon, Benjamin... You're Carter. My brother." She snapped.

Carter rolled his eyes "Why do you always refer to my friend when I do something wrong?"

"Because whenever you _do_ do something wrong, you seem to do it in an exact impersonation of him!" She snapped "This has got to stop!... Do you think mummy would be pleased with the way you are if she was still here? Hmm?"

Carter narrowed his eyes and pushed her hand away "Don't talk down to me - I'm the oldest here, and I can live my life any way I like. And not in the same way as my friends."

Femi folded her arms across her chest "Not when you bring it into my life, you can't."

Carter snorted in defeat and threw his hands up in the air "For god sakes, Femi, live a little! If you're so worried about what mum would think of us, then believe me, you need to get out more!"

Femi huffed angrily and spun away from her brother "Freedom isn't a necessity of mine" She muttered "I'm happy just the way I am, as the blunt, colourless librarian assistant... Now, go home."

Carter watched his sister from behind and his conscience slowly altered into a guilty one. He knew he had done wrong, but he just couldn't stand to be told it. He was one who liked to act, but not listen. Consequences weren't on his list of worries. Silly, aye? He brought his hand up and rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.

"You know, Femi... mum started out as a librarian, and look what she got up to." He told her quietly.

Femi's mother and father joined up as philosophers, and if she were still alive to that day, she would have been just as well known and successful. Even though she started of as a simple librarian working at the front office, she did many great things in her life, believing what she loved and the mystery of the world.

As Femi watched the floor gloomily, a smile tweaked in the corner of her lips. It wasn't just because of the thoughts of her mother, but that Carter was trying to cheer her up. It was when he did things like that that Femi knew he really did care for her. Femi closed her eyes and snickered in dry amusement, and then turned around. She looked up at him and he smiled goofily, making her roll her eyes.

"Come on. Let's go home..." She sighed.


	2. The Chase

"Here you are, mate." The taxi driver announced as he pulled up outside a tall, grey building.

Femi opened the car door and stepped out onto the sidewalk to wait for her brother. Carter grabbed a small amount of money from his trousers and, counting up the correct amount, handed it to the driver over the front seats.

"Thanks." He said

"Night then!" The taxi driver politely said in a manner of farewell.

As Femi stood on the pavement at the end of the long, royal red carpet that led up to the front doors of the building, she stood with her arms crossed over her chest from the chilly air and patiently watched the cars humming left and right along the road. It wasn't very busy that night, but then again, it was a Tuesday; a work night. Of course, that didn't apply to her older brother. She gave a light shiver, the wind bringing a short, dark curl across the bridge of her nose, and her eyes wandered down to the end of the street. That was when she noticed the two black jeeps parked against the curb (on a legal spot, at least) with open roofs. Both of them were filled with men wearing jet black clothing, and they all had tanned, olive skin. They were sitting perfectly still and looking over in her direction. She shrugged her shoulders up in discomfort and turned away from them; they were probably just waiting for someone else that lived in the same building as her.

Carter finally stepped out of the taxi and, shutting the door behind him, watched it pull away from the curb. It drove off down the street and Carter wrapped his arm around the back of Femi.

"Cold, old mum?" He asked.

Femi shivered and turned around with him "No - boiling."

He ignored her sarcasm and walked up the red pathway with her. The two attendants that stood either side of the glass doors leant in and opened both for Femi and Carter to walk in.

"Thank you." Femi politely said with a smile.

As soon as Carter and Femi stepped inside, they were surrounded in a cosy warmth. Femi sighed happily and pushed her brother away from her as he began to lean on her rather like a type of support.

"Well, I love you too sis." He snapped in false offence.

"If you want to love me, then hold my hand, but don't use me as your walking stick." She stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

She smirked at him and the two of them walked across the shining, large entrance hall to the doors on the other side. The floor was a brilliant, cream marble and a large crystal chandelier hung from the center of the cream ceiling. There were only a few people around in the entrance hall, and those people were the ones about to go off to a fancy dinner party and were beautifully dressed up. Femi smiled politely to them all and gave them respectable nods as she passed.

"Lord Dashingham - Lady Dashingham." She greeted her neighbours.

"Good evening, Miss Reynolds." They both said in reply.

Carter gave them a cheesy smile and a quick nod, but all he got in reply were a number of hmph's and some noses stuck in the air. Carter blinked and caught up with Femi again.

"I can't help but think that our neighbours really don't like me." He whispered.

Without looking at him, Femi replied: "Well, that is expected, seeing as you took their daughter out to dinner and never spoke to her again."

Carter rolled his eyes "She was too forward!"

Femi snickered and pushed the golden door open once they reached it "That's impossible Carter. No woman can ever be too forwards in your opinion."

Femi and Carter's father was one of the greatest Philosopher's in London of their time, and so Femi and Carter were supported very well financially. Of course, Carter just wasted all of his money on gambling and bars, whereas Femi put hers away into a bank account for savings. Femi lived a very easy life, all her life. She didn't have to work or do anything that she didn't want to, all because of her father's position. But Femi didn't want to live like that. She wanted to be able to say to herself 'yes, I did this for myself. Me.'. She wanted to live independently, even if her father did insist that she continue saving up in her account.

Femi turned around the corner and came to a stop in front of the elevator. She pushed the button and then folded her arms across her chest again.

"Debra was just far too clingy anyhow." Carter sighed thoughtfully from next to her.

Femi rolled her eyes "The redhead from earlier?"

He nodded "As clingy as a child to their mother."

Femi raised a stiff eyebrow and looked over at him "Carter... the definition of 'clingy', to you, would be everything in a 'relationship'... _apart_ from the relatinship itself. All you want is a beautiful woman, a bed and an I.O.U to leave on your pillow for the morning. It's the commitment that you can't do."

The elevator pinged and the doors rumbled open. Femi stepped inside and turned around to see her brother follow in looking very retrospective and phased. Femi rolled her eyes and pressed the button number '43', and just as the doors moved in to close, a hand slammed against the one on the right and stopped them immediately. Femi gasped and jumped in surprise and Carter grunted in surprise with a large wave of his arms. A man wearing a black tux appeared as the doors automatically slid back into the walls. Femi tensed up and eyed the man up and down warily; he had tanned skin with black hair tied back into a ponytail, and he was wearing a smart, black tux. He looked at Carter and Femi as he stepped inside and gave a gentle, polite smile. Femi smiled and reply and reached out to the buttons again.

"Which floor?" She asked.

"Forty-dree, please." He replied with a strong exotic accent.

Femi felt a little odd about the fact that he, too, was going to floor 43; _her_ floor. Nonetheless, she pushed her paranoia aside and leant back.

"I pushed it already." She quietly said.

He nodded in understanding and the doors shut fully. Femi glanced at the man on her left curiously; why did she feel so on edge around him? Perhaps because he looked terribly alike to those men who she saw sitting in the cars aside... No. She was just being silly.

She looked away from the man and locked her eyes upon the numbers written above the door, the light moving from one to the next with each level that they moved up onto. Carter started tapping his foot on the floor in a fidget and soon began hissing and spitting a soft beat with his lips.

Both Femi and the man next to her looked over at him with raised eyebrows, and he quickly stopped.

Ping!

Femi looked back to the doors in front of her and they opened up to expose the warmly lit hallway of her level. She looked to the man next to her and he held his hand out before him as a gesture for her to go.

"Ladies first, please." He said.

She smiled thankfully and walked out of the elevator and into the creamy hallway. Carter went to walk out after her, but the foreign man moved in front of him before he could reach the door. Carter blinked and eyed him up and down in offence. Femi looked round and raised an eyebrow at her brother as she saw him watching the other man walk away in the opposite direction to their door number.

"Carter?" She called him.

He tore his eyes away from the man and followed along behind her. When they came to number 12, Femi removed her necklace from over her dark-curled head and stuck the key into the door that dangled from the silver chain.

"I don't get it, Femi - why don't you put something more... I dunno', sentimental, on the end of that thing?" Carter asked.

Femi smiled over her shoulder at him as she opened the door inwards "Home is where the heart is, brother dear."

He rolled his eyes and walked into their cosy suit, and once Femi took her key back, Carter closed the door. Femi sighed happily and looked around her apartment proudly. Yes... this was her warm, welcoming home. Femi was prepared for a good night's rest, and a cosy lie-in in the morning. That is, if her dear old brother didn't decide to pester her for breakfast.

"Coco! We're home!" Femi called out.

Carter rolled his eyes "It's a cat, not a person."

"Oh shush, Carter - people who dislike animals can never understand the bond that can be formed between them and humans." Femi snapped.

A small ginger cat trotted out of the open door of Femi's bedroom and meowed loudly. Femi smiled and, leaning down, scooped her up in her arms.

"Aw, mummy's home now darling." She cooed, kissing her head.

Carter shook his head in amusement and fell back into the comfort of the puffy, cream suede armchair with a loud, pleasured sigh "Ooooooh..."

Femi, now stroking Coco in her arms, walked over to the front of the room where the walls were made entirely of thick glass, acting as windows that slid open to allow them to go out onto the balcony. She sighed dreamily at the sight of the sparkling, glowing city; Femi always found that it reminded her of some kind of Kingdom... but she couldn't quite make out what. It was like a dream of a dream that she had seen long ago. She felt like a Queen on top of her own world...

"Femi??" Carter snapped impatiently.

Femi jumped and looked round at him "Excuse me? A little more respect, brother..."

He rolled his eyes "You zoned out again. I've called you five times."

"Oh." Femi simply said.

She carefully set Coco down on the floor and, with a sigh, rubbed her forehead tiredly. She walked over to the sofa opposite Carter and sat herself down in it. She let out a soft groan of exhaustion and tilted her head back on the top of the sofa.

"I know how you feel." Carter sighed happily.

Femi stared up at the ceiling and narrowed her eyes "Carter... when exactly did you say you would be getting your own apartment?"

Carter lifted his head up and looked over at his sister "Is that a hint? D'you want me to leave already?"

Femi chuckled and lifted her head up also "Well, no offence Carter, but yes. I do have my own life, you know."

He snickered in offence and sat up in the chair "I just don't get it - you'll risk being kicked out of your home altogether for a ginger rat that you aren't even supposed to have, but you won't rent out a room for your own older brother."

Femi smiled knowingly and rolled her eyes "First of all, father had a word with the owner of this building and made an agreement that I could keep Coco under the circumstances that no one else knows I have her - and secondly, I don't believe the correct expression for what you're doing is 'renting', because you aren't actually paying me anything... So, I'll ask again, when are you receiving your new house?"

Carter took a deep breath in and then looked at the ceiling, pouting his lips dramatically to add to the effect of thought. Femi rolled her eyes and let her head fall back onto the top of the sofa again.

"Oh, never mind." She grunted.

"Hmmm..." Carter sighed peacefully "What's for supper, Femi?"

Femi grunted and sat upright "Carter - it's almost midnight. What makes you think I'm cooking anything at this time of night??"

"Well someone has to." Carter arrogantly replied.

Femi scowled angrily and was about to shout at him some more when there was a sudden knock at the door. Femi and Carter looked over at the door, and then raised an eyebrow each.

"Who's that?" Carter asked.

Femi stood up "I'm not sure - I'm not gifted with x-ray vision unlike most, you see. Hide Coco."

As Femi turned and walked over to the door, Carter stood up with a roll of his eyes and looked around for the cat. Once he spotted Coco, he leant down and held his hand out in front of him whilst making kissing sounds.

"Come on, kitten, come to uncle Carter." He sang.

Coco stopped cleaning herself and looked up at him. Carter froze and brought his other hand round to grab her. Just as Femi pulled the latch across in her door, she heard a hysterical howl from her brother and a loud, alley-cat scream from Coco. She gasped and, leaving the door on the hook, spun around just in time to see Coco leap off of Carter's shoulder before he fell down onto the floor upon his back.

"What the"-

The door suddenly swung open and cracked into her back. She gasped in pain and fell down onto all fours where the aftereffect of her collision really set in. She fell down onto her stomach and groaned in agony from the pain that was shooting up her spine and over her shoulders.

"Femi!!" Carter shouted.

Femi felt a hand clasp around her hair behind her head and pull tightly upon it, forcing her to endure even more pain through her back as she climbed up onto her feet. She growled in pain and brought her hands back to try and free herself.

"Where is de' Heart?" An exotic voice whispered in her ear.

Femi's worried eyes wandered all around her in desperation "H-Heart? Wh-wh-wh-what Heart??" She stuttered breathlessly.

He tightened his grip upon her hair and shook her once, making her cry out "Where is de' Diamond Heart?!"

"Get your hands off of her!!" Carter yelled and jumped to his feet.

He ran at the man holding Femi, but before he could even get to him, five other men dressed in black jogged through the doorway and positioned themselves around the room. Carter blinked around at them helplessly.

"Well - now, there's no need for any violence, why don't we sit down like mature adults. Drinks anyone?" He asked stupidly.

"Carter!" Femi growled angrily.

He jumped and nodded "Right..."

With that, all five men leapt over different pieces of furniture to get to Carter. He jumped in fright and ran out of the living room, into the bedroom, leaving Femi and the man alone whilst listening to all the bangs and crashes. Femi took this as an opportune moment to free herself, and so she did the first thing that came to her mind; stomped on his foot as hard as she could with the small heel of her boot. He growled in pain and leapt onto the other foot, and his grip loosened upon her hair. She gritted her teeth and pulled herself away from him even though it tore a couple of thin, short curls out. She grabbed the vase that sat upon the side table next to the armchair and, whilst he was concentrating on his throbbing foot, held it high above her head and smashed down onto the top of his. It shattered into tiny pieces and fell to the floor with the lifeless body of the man whom she had hit it with, and she spun around in a panic of worry for her brother.

"Carter! Get out here, now!" She yelled.

"Oooooooh - coming!!" Carter exclaimed nervously.

Within a second, there was a loud smash and Carter came stumbling out of the doorway. He ran across the room and snatched Femi's hand up in his own as he passed her so that she was dragged along with him as he burst out into the hallway.

They turned left to head for the elevator and saw at least another ten men in black load out of it. They both gasped and came to a skidding stop just as they all spotted them standing there.

"Get them!" One of them roared.

"This way!" Femi squeaked.

She turned around and pulled her brother over to a white door that was at the end of the hall. She swung it open and ran out onto a level of the tall, spiralling staircase. It was a royal cream colour and lit with beautiful oil-lamps that stuck out from the walls, and the flooring was covered in a cream, brown and red-patterned carpet that led all the way down to the bottom floor.

"Oh - the stairs? What, you think my legs are _made_ of power?" He groaned tiredly.

"You won't have any legs soon if you don't run down them, Carter." Femi breathed out nervously.

She pulled him along and started moving down the stairs at three at a time in huge leaps, sometimes even four. Carter was rather impressed with how physical his 'boring librarian' of a sister was.

"V'you been working out Femi??" He panted.

"Shut up and run!" She growled.

It wasn't long before the sounds of the men chasing them echoed down the stairs to slap them both on the back. Femi shot a look over her shoulder and saw their heads poking over the banisters from the level above.

They were catching up.

"Quickly, sit on the banister." Femi ordered to her brother.

"You what??" Carter snorted.

She stopped running, causing her brother to yell out incoherent words of panic, and she hopped up onto the pine railings of the stairs. 

"There they are!" Someone shouted.

Carter looked up to see the men in black only ten steps away from him. He didn't hesitate once more before shifting himself up onto the banister behind Femi.

"Now what?!" He yelled.

"GO!" She shouted.

Femi let go of the railings and set off down them like it was a spiralling slide. Carter let go of the wooden banister beneath him just before a curved dagger slashed out to catch the back of his neck.

"After them!" A random voice yelled angrily.

And so, one by one, the men followed Femi and Carter's steps by sitting themselves on the railings and pushing off down them like a slide; they had to catch up with them somehow. By the time Femi had reached level number nineteen, she was going at an incredibly fast pace that made her want to scream. The wind was blowing against her fact, sending her curls fluttering behind her, and her bottom was heating up incredibly fast from the friction between her trousers and the pinewood. She dangerously tilted inwards by a mere inch and peered down the middle of the staircase; the bottom floor was only a few seconds away. She felt herself slip inwards and, with a gasp, jerked back into place, but instead, felt herself tilting uncontrollably to the other side!

"O-o-o-o-o-o-o-ohhh noooo!" She sang shakily "Carteeeer!"

"I'm on my way, Femi! -- "Wh-whoa!" Carter yelled back nervously.

The oil-lamps whizzed past Femi's vision out of the corner of her eyes and the carpet looked like a watery blur. She gritted her teeth and closed her eyes to silently hope that she would come off of the banisters safely.

But no.

Her bottom suddenly slipped off of the side of the banister and she fell onto the next flight of steps, rolling down all ten of them before hitting the wall and coming to a stop. She grumbled to herself and rolled over to climb up onto all fours; Carter was on his way. She grunted up onto her feet and quickly removed her cardigan. She approached the banisters and held it out in both hands in preparation for something, keeping her eyes locked upon the railings on the next level.

Carter came swooping down towards her "Wh-- Femi!"

He whizzed past her and let out a loud cry of words that she couldn't interpret. Knowing that Carter was on his way to a safe landing downstairs, she quickly wrapped her cardigan around the wooden banister and tied it in a hard knot.

"And that's for making me use my vase on you brutes!" She yelled up to the men that were not just three floors away.

She smiled at her clever plan and then hopped back onto the banisters to slide all the way down to the bottom; she knew that as soon as the man at the front reached the cardigan, the easy friction would break and he would fall straight off, just as every single man after him would. It would be a pileup, to buy Femi and her brother some time when they got outside.

As Femi sped down to the first floor, she heard the sudden chorus of roars and yells burst out from where she had tied her cardigan. She looked over her shoulder and laughed loudly, and then her bottom lipped off of the edge of the banister and her laugh changed to a scream as she fell straight forwards, on top of Carter. He grunted loudly and slammed back down onto his stomach with the weight of Femi over him.

"Oh, sorry!" She gasped.

She climbed off of him and helped him to his feet where they brushed themselves down. He looked up at the staircase and raised an eyebrow at the loud commotion echoing down to them.

"What did you do?" He asked.

"Oh, I have a few tricks up my sleeve - come on, let's go." She breathed out.

She grabbed onto his hand again and dragged his attention away from the stairs. As they jogged through the grand, reception hall, people stopped what they were doing to stare at them in complete perplexity. Femi ignored it, whereas her older brother seemed to enjoy the eyes of all the pretty ladies being upon him, and pushed the glass doors open before the chauffeurs could get anywhere near them. She stumbled outside with her brother staggering behind her and she looked around hopelessly.

"Oh no!" She gasped.

"Oh no? Oh no isn't good - what's not good??" Carter asked, obviously not having been giving any attention to anything other than the girls back inside the building.

He followed Femi's gaze to see the rest of the men in black loading out of their jeeps and jogging up the street towards them both. They were completely surrounded.

"They're everywhere!" Carter grunted.

Femi roamed her watering eyes around in a panic for some kind of escape route; she saw a taxi - but it was just about to leave! It had obviously just dropped someone off.

"Taxi! Taxi, _wait_!" She cried whilst running towards it with Carter hobbling behind her.

The taxi driver still couldn't hear her and turned his wheel to pull away from the curb. Femi reached her free hand out in desperation and shook her head subconsciously.

"**TAXI**!!" She screamed.

The taxi driver snapped his head round and spotted Femi and her brother running towards him. In fact, he actually looked rather surprised. Femi reached the tax and, yanking the door open, shot a glimpse across the street before being pushed inside my Carter; the men in black would be there in no more than ten seconds. She fell onto the seat in the back and looked over at her brother as he slammed the door shut; he pushed the lock down just as one of the men in black appeared by the window and tried to open it.

"Go, go, go, go, _go_!" Carter yelled at the driver.

The taxi driver didn't need telling again and suddenly swerved out into the road in front of a terribly expensive car, almost hitting into its bonnet. The driver beeped his horn furiously and Femi and Carter twisted around in their seats to see where the men had gone. They were all now heading back to the jeeps.

"Oh no..." Femi whispered.

"It's a chase, now." Carter added.

Femi turned on her brother and suddenly swiped her hand out to slap it into the side of Carter's head. He yelped in pain and jerked back against the window with his hand covering his bruised spot proactively.

"What the _bloody_ hell was that for?!" He yelled.

"What did you do this time?? Haven't I told you not to gamble?!" She cried.

Carter blinked and creased his brow angrily "What're you talking about - I don't know those people!"

Femi breathed heavily "You say that every time, Carter! This isn't the first time you've brought your belligerent friends to my doorstep!"

He shook his head "I've never seen them in my life!"

Femi looked out the back window again, breathing heavily "...Never?"

"Never." He repeated.

She narrowed her eyes and looked at him in suspicion "You swear to me."

Carter swallowed and nodded seriously "On mum's grave."

Femi watched her brother for a few more minutes - the City blurring past the windows as the taxi driver followed their orders in 'go-go-go'-ing -, and she waited to see if there was any doubt or faithlessness in his eyes. But Carter just stared straight back at her with a serious, nervous look upon his face. And there she saw it, again. It was her mum. He had her chin, and her nose... and those eyes. So dark and wild. Just like mum did. Femi relaxed at that very moment and felt as though there was nothing to worry about; as though mummy would take care of her.

"Er - sorry, I don't mean tuh' brea'up the moment 'ere... but where am I takin' ya'?" The taxi driver spoke out, and Femi no longer felt safe under her mother's protection.

"We should probably get to dads. He'll know what to do." Carter sighed, all of a sudden seeming to take control of the arrangements.

Femi nodded subconsciously whilst staring at the ground to reflect upon everything that had happened. Who were those men? Why were they trying to hurt them? And what was the 'Diamond Heart'?...

"Twenty-three, Grisbe Lane please." Carter told the driver.

"Right then." The driver agreed.

As shook up and confused as Femi was, however, she knew that when she got to her father's, everything would be alright.


	3. The Safe

The journey to Grisbe Lane was quicker than Femi or Carter had expected it to be. Their taxi driver really knew his stuff! Femi leant across the taxi to stare out of Carter's window once the car had pulled up outside of the Victorian Mansion. All the lights were on, and their father's Porsche was parked in the drive.

"Good. He's home." Femi whispered.

"Do you think we could've been followed here?" Carter whispered.

Femi leant back in her seat and looked around, out of all the windows of the car "I doubt it. We would know by now, if we had."

"Erm... why are we all whisperin' now?" The taxi driver whispered and turned to look at the two of them.

Femi and Carter looked to the taxi driver in surprise and observed him. He was wearing a grey granddad-hat with a brown shirt over a white one, and as for the second half, they couldn't see. But he looked around 30 and had messy brown hair with blue eyes and a scar down the right side of his neck.

"I'm Berny. Nice tuh' meet ya' on this fine, adventurous nigh'." He said and reached his hand over his seat.

Femi smiled uncoordinatedly and shook his hand, and then Carter did the same. After that, Berny brought his hand back and leant down to peer out the window on the left side of his taxi to observe the mansion.

He whistled with impress and then chuckled "Blimey."

Femi looked over at Carter and nudged him "Pay the man - I mean, Berny." She corrected herself.

Carter blinked in apprehension "Pay? I haven't got any money, Femi."

Femi froze angrily "What??"

"Wass' this? No money?" The taxi driver spoke out.

Femi closed her eyes in annoyance and then released a breathless, nervous chuckle. She looked over at the driver and smiled prettily for him.

"If you could just wait here, I'll bring you the money. But it's inside the house, so I'll have to go and collect it." She sweetly told him.

He smiled at her pretty pout and nodded "Righ'-o. I'll be waitin'."

Femi smiled gratefully and then looked over at Carter for him to open the door. He did so, and they both climbed out into the chilly night to stare up at the Mansion.

"I'll give ya' ten minutes." The driver called out the window.

Carter waved to him in agreement and then set off towards the gates. Femi walked up to them and gently pushed against them both with her palms, and with a little buzz and a click, they began opening inwards. Carter snickered and watched them moving backwards in amusement.

"So much for security." He teased.

Femi slipped through the gates when there was a big enough gap "It's a bluff, Carter. Gates are there for a purpose - no one would expect them to open so easily."

Carter slipped through after her and chuckled "Sneaky bastards."

"Language, Carter." She sighed irritably.

"Hey, I can swear. I'm a grown man." He cockily said.

Femi looked around warily "Of course you are, Carter..." She breathed out, carelessly, her mind elsewhere.

Carter stopped walking for a second and glared at her from behind. Femi realised and, with a roll of her eyes, she trotted up the stone steps that led to the front porch which was glowing from the oil-lamps that were burning on the wall either side of the grand, wooden doors. She stroked a curl behind her ear and went to knock on the door, and as soon as her knuckle came into contact with the wood, the door creaked open; someone had left it open. Femi stood in a tense silence, her fist still in the air and her eyes now very sharp and alarmed.

Why would her father have left he door open?...

Carter soon jogged up behind her "Hey, miss cocky, are you going on or"- He cut himself off when he saw the door was open "Oh, gentlemen first now is it?"

Carter went to walk in, but Femi grabbed him by his jacked and pulled him back "Don't be so naive, Carter. The door was open before I knocked."

Cater looked away from Femi's startled eyes and into the entrance hall of the house. The door was now wide open, and they could see inside the hall. Femi's eyes widened at the sight of a smashed vase that once stood on the table, lying next to it, in the middle of the room.

"Ok... that's not a sign of security or safety." Carter whispered.

However, apart from the broken vase and the already open front door, everything seemed normal. It was completely empty, and dead silent. All that could be heard was the wind, their shaking breath's and the whispers of the City behind them. But that only made everything all the more chilling. Femi swallowed down her nerves and went to take a step forwards. Carter looked back and forth from her and the hallway in a panic and grabbed onto her arm as she went to let go of him.

"What - are you mad? D'you wanna' get killed??" He whispered angrily.

Femi ripped her arm out of his grip "Dad's in there." She whispered back.

Carter placed his hands on top of his head stressfully and watched his little sister tiptoe into the white, marble entrance hall. Femi's heart was pounding in her chest, so loudly that she could hear it in her ears. She walked all the way to the center of the hall where the shattered vase lay next to the knocked over table and then looked down the hallways on her left and right. They were pitch black, and chills ran up her spine as she narrowed her eyes observantly. The thought that anyone, or anything, could be hiding in the darkness watching her made her skin crawl. It was the fact that she couldn't see them was what got to her the most. Feeling the way she did, Femi decided to focus on the upstairs where her father's bedroom and office lived.

"Femi!" Carter hissed desperately as Femi moved over to the bottom of the stairs.

Femi looked over at him "If you're not coming, stand there and shut up will you?" She snapped before turning back round.

Carter rolled his eyes at the situation he was in; yes, he was bloody scared, but he couldn't leave his sister to wander around the house on her own! Sighing nervously, he stepped over the threshold and walked across the hall whilst humming a tune under his breath to distract himself. Femi was already half way up the steps by the time he had reached the bottom one, and her eyes were locked upon the door to her father's office - it was open ajar, and she could see the dim light glowing from inside of the room.

"Daddy..." Femi gasped worriedly.

She took off into a desperate, distressed run up the remaining steps for fear that her father was hurt. Carter looked up and at seeing her running away, he also set out into a fast jog up the stairs after her.

"Femi! _Femi_!" He hissed fiercely.

But Femi refused to listen to him. She reached the second floor and sped round the corner and along the hall to get to her father's office. He was always in there. Always doing what he loved; research. Writing. Collecting information. Debating with discoveries. Being a philosopher - it's what he loved doing best. Femi came to a breathless halt outside his room and panted heavily whilst staring at the glowing gap in the door. If she opened it and those men in black were inside, what exactly did she plan on doing? She didn't really know what, but if they attacked, she would wave her fists around like there was no tomorrow.

"No, Femi - don't!" Carter snapped as he reached the top of the stairs.

Femi placed her hand against the door and, hesitating for a second to swallow down her fear, she pushed upon it. It opened with a tormenting grace to reveal her father's office... turned upside down from one corner to the next. Femi gasped and brought her hand to her mouth in horror, and her brother came to a skidding stop behind her.

He, too, froze at the sight.

The chairs were on the floor on their sides, the floor was scattered with paper, pen and books, the bookshelves had been toppled over and the curtains ripped from the pole above the windows, the cushioned armchair that their father loved so much was now lying on its back with a huge rip in the base of it and her father's globe of the world had been knocked from its frame and was lying in front of the black fireplace.

Femi stepped inside, her eyes wide and watering, and looked around in shock "No."

Carter moved past Femi and treaded over all of the broken bits and bobs whilst scanning his appalled eyes around at everything. Femi brought her hand down from her face and looked around in a stunned silence. What had they done with their father? And how did they know that they weren't hurting him, or already _had_ hurt him? Femi staggered over to his red, suede armchair and looked down upon it mournfully. She then moved around behind it and, crouching down, gripped the back of it and heaved it back into its rightful position. She released a tired sigh and leant upon the back of it for support as she started crying upon her arm.

Carter looked down at the floor sorrowfully and listened to his sister's delicate sobs. Everything was falling apart. Neither of them knew what was going on. Neither of them knew how to cope if the worst came to the worst and their father died... They had already lost their mother, but their father as well? 

It would be murderous.

Femi took a deep breath in and slowly lifted her head up to rest her mouth against her hand. She sniffed and blinked several times so that her tears fell from her eyes, allowing her to see clearly. Her eyes wandered around the room in front of her until they fell upon a silver grid over next to the window behind the desk. There was a black, circular handle on the side of it and it had something dangling from it; a silver chain. Femi furrowed her eyebrows and leant up from the chair with another sniff. She moved out from behind the chair and carefully walked over to it with great curiosity.

It was her father's safe.

A loud beep sounded out from Benny in his taxi outside the gates and Carter growled angrily. He marched across the room, careless of what he was treading upon, and looked out the window to wave his hand impatiently at him. Meanwhile, Femi stopped in front of the safe and observed the chain that was hanging from the handle.

"Her ring..." She whispered.

Femi lifted her hand up and removed the chain from the handle to observe her mother's wedding ring that her father had hung upon it. It was a thin, silver ring with a large emerald diamond sitting in top. When their mother died, their father kept close it by, hidden in a safe place. Obviously, close to his heart. Carter appeared behind Femi and peered over her shoulder at the ring.

"Mum's ring" He stated in surprise "What was it doing hanging _there_?"

Femi, narrowing her eyes in thought, looked up from the ring and at the safe's door "I think... daddy was trying to tell us something..."

Femi laced the silver chain around her fingers so she wouldn't drop it and she then began turning the black handle of the safe to the correct numbers that had been carved into it in white. Carter furrowed his eyebrows in offence and watched her match the numbers up, each time, the safe handle giving small clicks of acceptance.

"You know the code? How come dad didn't tell me the code??" He snapped.

Femi kept her concentration upon the handle and subconsciously replied in a dreamy voice "Do you honestly believe daddy would tell _you_ the code?..."

Carter blinked a few times as he thought over her words. He really couldn't understand - the poor thing. Femi twisted the handle to the very last number, and it gave a loud click of activation. She had done it. Femi bit her bottom lip in concentration and slowly pulled the door open with a strong yank. She pulled the small door all the way back to find herself gaping at a large collection of thick money groups.

"Wow" Carter said with sparkling eyes "I guess the taxi's sorted, hey..."

Something caught Femi's attention out of the corner of her eye and she turned her head to look at the inside of the door; there was a letter stuck to it. Femi turned to face it and then plucked it away to begin reading.

"What's it say?" Carter asked eagerly.

"Dear Femi and Carter,

If you are reading this letter now, then that means you were able to discover my clue and find this letter, which means that there is a serious situation at hand that has put... all of our lives in _danger_!" Femi gasped, glancing up at her brother in fright.

Carter nodded "Keep going."

Femi looked back down with a slow and carried on reading "First of all, I want to say that I am relieved beyond belief that the two of you are safe, and so very proud that you have managed it this far. You have been through a lot in your lives, and I cannot tell you how honoured I am to be your father" Femi paused and a tear rolled down her cheek "Now, I need you both to follow my instructions very carefully. Inside the safe is a small red box which looks like it has been burnt in a fire. Take it, and with you, collect as much money as you might need. On the back of this letter, as you will see afterwards, is the address of a family of which I was once terribly close to, but lost contact with after the death of your mother..."

Femi paused her reading and turned the letter over to look at the address. It said '18, Widdlecove Drive'. Femi looked up at her brother to confirm with him what she had read and then turned the letter back over again.

"You must take this red box to their house and ask for Rick O'Connell. Show it to him, and he will know exactly what to do. Tell him of everything you know so far and I assure you, he and his wife will take excellent care of you. Do not worry about me, children, for I am the least of your worries. I promise I will come back to you, but until then, nothing comes before the deliverance of that box to Rick O'Connell. I cannot stress that enough. I am trusting in both of you to do as I have wished. Do not let me down. I love you both. Your father... Brian." Femi's voice faded into a soft whisper as she spoke her father's name.

Carter snatched the letter out of Femi's hands and started pacing back and forth whilst reading the letter through once more to himself. Femi, who was still in a phase of shock and hypnotised by what she had just discovered, didn't react act all to the letter being taken, but instead, moved her tear-filled eyes down onto the ring that sat in the palm of her hand. Carter finished reading the letter and huffed angrily.

"So what... we're just supposed to give that box to this 'Richard' and expect everything to be alright??" He snapped and threw his hands up in the air, pacing back and forth still "Yeah, sure, we'll just sit back and drink tea whilst these people torture dad for the answers they want!"

Femi snapped her eyes onto her brother, another tear falling "Don't say that, Carter. You don't know that."

Carter turned round to face Femi and held the letter up in front of her face aggressively "No - only a letter with dad's very own writing!"

Femi turned her head away from the letter that was shaking from her brother's trembling, furious hand. Femi wasn't going to react to him, for she knew he was feeling exactly the same as her. When he was upset, he got angry. Although Carter was a wimp when it came to confrontations, he still felt anger every now and then. And one of those times was now.

"Don't you get it Femi?" He huffed "Those men in black - they knew we were his kids. They're after that box. They thought we knew, but they couldn't catch us and so they took dad instead because he wouldn't tell them where it was... and you know very well how they deal with people who don't talk."

Femi closed her eyes and a number of tears fell to the ground in unison. She curled her hand around the ring in her hand and then wrapped her arms around herself self-consciously. The thought of her father being put through such pain was... unbearable.

"We should just..." Femi muttered "Do as daddy wishes."

Carter looked over at her again and narrowed his eyes "You can't be serious, Femi... You're suggesting that we just leave him to be tortured to death??"

Femi felt a strong, emotional anger bubble up inside of her and she looked over at Carter with dark, stern eyes. Carter noticed the power behind them and backed down slightly inside, but didn't show it.

"As I said - we don't know for sure that he's being hurt... He's counting on us to do deliver that box" She said through gritted teeth "It's obviously something terribly important to him or there wouldn't even be a possibility that he's being tortured - he'd have told them where it was right away."

Carter looked down at the letter and turned it over to read the address "Richard O'Connell... O'Connell..." He looked up at Femi in confusion "That name sounds so familiar."

Femi turned away from her brother and looked inside the safe. She began moving aside the collections of 50 bill notes until she came to a small, burnt, red box at the very back of it. She gripped it with her free hand - the other still holding the necklace - and pulled it out to look at it.

"This is what he was referring to." She sighed.

Carter stepped up next to her "I wonder what's inside..."

Femi and Carter stared down at the mysterious box in fascination. Femi could feel her fingers itching to flip up the lid and see what was inside. Just as she brought her finger tips near to the lid, a sudden ringing smash stole them away from their concentration and they both spun around with loud screams - well, Carter gave a manly scream (and that's just being polite). The smashed glass fell down from the wide window frame and scattered the already messy floor, and a small ball rolled across the room to come to a stop in the middle of it not far from Femi and Carter. They both narrowed their eyes curiously and leant towards it...

"_Oh no_!" Femi gasped.

It was a bomb.


	4. Close Escape

The explosion was deafening and, even though Femi was covered protectively by Carter, she could feel the heat wave through the air around them. Femi remained in a tight, frightened ball until she felt her brother move off of her and she knew it was safe to get up. The two of them rose up onto their knees and peeked over the top of the table; the room was completely blistered and devastated. Small patches of fire flickered around the room upon the floor and some books, and the wallpaper was peeling off from the walls. Femi looked over at her brother and saw a cut across his forehead, and blood rolling down towards his nose.

"Oh, Carter, you're hurt." She whispered in fear.

Carter blinked and pressed his fingers to his forehead. He winced and brought them back quickly to see a lot of blood. He swallowed at the feel of nausea and his eyes became rather glazed over.

"Oh... woops." He muttered.

Once the humming of the crackling explosion had died down, the sound of a continuous '_beeeeep_' came into hearing. Femi furrowed her eyebrows and looked straight ahead, out of the window again. It was Berny... but he wasn't warning them. Something was pressing against the wheel. And something told Femi that it wasn't his hand.

"Carter - they're here!" She squeaked.

Carter was still terribly overwhelmed by the sight of his blood to answer her. Femi grunted and pushed him over so that he snapped out of it, and she then stood up and ran over to the safe. She took the small red bag and stuffed as much money inside of it as she could, making sure to add in the necklace afterwards.

"Wh-wh-what're you doin', Femi?" Carter stuttered nervously.

"What does it look like, Carter? I'm getting some money for our escape." She replied breathlessly.

She zipped the bag up so that nothing could fall out and slammed the safe door afterwards. Carter staggered up onto his feet and frowned longingly at the safe.

"You left so much money." He whined.

Femi walked over to the window behind Carter "We don't need it all."

"Well, at least tell me the code!" He exclaimed.

A loud smash called up from downstairs and Femi looked round at the open door with a frightened gasp; they were in the house. Femi quickly pulled the latch across from the window and lifted it up to stick her head out. Directly below was a large, white-pebbled parking area... but it was at least twenty feet down. Femi sighed stressfully and looked left and right out of the window for some kind of solution; the drain pipe. She smiled hopefully and moved back from the window to look round at her brother.

"Ready Carter?" She asked.

Carter blinked "For what?"

She tucked the bag full of money down the back of her trousers and then slipped one leg out the window to place her foot on the ledge "You like climbing, right?"

"No!" He hissed worriedly.

"Well... you're about to." She sighed in concentration.

She brought her other leg over so that she was sitting on the window ledge and then, moving her head underneath the window frame, stood up. Carter poked his head out of the window once Femi had shuffled out of view and watched her turn around to meet the drain pipe.

"Femi - you're gonna' kill yourself!" He snapped.

Femi gripped onto the metal strips that went from one side of the pipe to the other and stuck the front of her boots on top of the ones below her. She then began carefully climbing down it with a bit of difficulty.

"If you stay there, you'll be worse than killed, but tortured" Femi snapped back at her brother "Now stop being a wimp and hurry on earth up!"

A loud, growling voice from downstairs gave Carter the remaining amount of persuasion that he needed, and he was out on the window ledge within the blink of an eye. Carter pressed himself up against the wall and shuffled over towards the pipe with wide eyes and a racing heart; he hated heights. Femi was only half way down now, but she could feel her hands beginning to sweat and lose grip on the metal connections to the wall. Carter stopped next to the pipe and took a deep breath in before, literally, leaping onto it in fear. The pipe gave a low groan of weakness and Femi froze. She looked up at Carter and gasped angrily.

"You were supposed to wait for me to reach the bottom first, you idiot!" She whispered harshly.

"Well thanks for bloody telling me!" He grunted back.

"Quickly, climb down! It's going to give way any minute!" Femi ordered.

"What?! I only just got here woman - I'm not a super man!" He growled.

Femi ignored her brother's stubbornness and concentrated on getting her own self safely to the ground. After all, the worst that could happen to either of them was a broken wrist or ankle - at the most. Carter swallowed loudly, and then he heard an angry grunting from just inside the office where they had once been.

"Ok! Coming!" He whispered.

Carter set off down the pipe in a careless, inelegant manner that was definitely not quiet. Femi looked up at him anxiously, and saw three heads poke out of the window; they were all dressed in black, just like the men from before.

"Hurry, Carter!" Femi shouted "They're right"- Femi paused and clung to the drain pipe with fear as it gave another groan.

One after the other, the men climbed out onto the balcony and started easing their way towards the top of the drain pipe. Carter was now hanging onto the pipe like a little child would its mother, and Femi was dangling ten feet above the ground. The first man in black came to a stop next to the drain pipe, and as soon as he placed his foot down upon its metal strap, the pipe started breaking away from the wall from the top to the bottom. Carter let out a wild yell and dropped down from the drain pipe, landing upon the floor with a loud thud.

"_Carter_!" Femi gasped, just before she too was thrown from the pipe and fell down to the ground in a painful _crush_.

If it were up to Carter and Femi, they would have remained in those positions to wait for their agony to pass, but the pipe broke completely away from the wall and they were forced to roll out of the way just before it smashed into the ground. Femi, now on her front, coughed loudly from the white, powdered dust that was floating around her in a mist and pushed herself up onto all fours.

"C-Carter!" She coughed "Are you alright??"

Carter stood to his feet and brushed himself down irritably "Nothing's broken, at least."

"Quickly! Get down there!" One of the men roared from above.

Femi scrambled to her feet and instantly gave a loud, trembling whimper from the sharp pain that shot up her shin from her ankle. She stumbled sideways and would have fallen over if it hadn't have been for her brother catching her in time.

"Is it broken?" He asked worriedly.

"No... I-I think I just twisted it a bit." She breathed out, and then looked up at the large garage door on the wall in front of them "The garage...!"

Carter looked over to the door and smiled in relief "Brilliant."

Wrapping her arm around Carter's shoulders, Femi limped along side him towards the wide door. Once they reached it, Femi had to lean against the wall whilst Carter twisted the rectangular handle that sat in the middle of the door; he pushed his palm upon the top of the door and it slid upwards, retreating up against the wall flatly. He wrapped Femi's arm around his shoulders again and she hobbled into the dim garage with him - the only thing lighting their way being the silver moon that was shimmering high in the dark, cold sky.

Femi and Carter moved to the car at the very front, nearest to the exit door, and Carter opened the pale-cream door for her. It was a terribly expensive car that Carter just couldn't take his eyes off of, even at such a time of life-and-death. It had no roof to it, and black tires had elegant, cream rims in their center, and the doors were low down and thin. It must have been an antique. Femi hopped into it and fell back in her seat, and sighed in pain when Carter slammed the door shut next to her. She looked up into the overhead mirror and saw blood trickling down her left cheek from a cut that had formed upon the bridge of her little nose.

"Ouch..." She whispered dozily, and rather dreamily.

Carter jumped over the side of the car and settled in his seat quite nicely. He opened the dashboard in front of him and saw the silver key sitting on the top shelf, twinkling promisingly. Carter took it out and kissed it happily before sticking it into the keyhole next to the wheel. A door burst open from somewhere at the back of the garage and Femi jumped in fright. She looked over her shoulder and could see a strong light flaming through the doorway where many silhouettes stood, almost blocking it.

"_Carter_..." Femi groaned warningly.

"There they are!"  
"Quick, before they get away!"  
"Get them!"  
"Hurry!" Many voices yelled angrily.

Carter turned the key and the engine purred into life. He fiddled with the gear stick and then stomped his foot down onto the correct peddle, and they zoomed out of the garage at such a speed that the car skidded dangerously towards the large lake, which the two of them had only just realised was there. The wind blew soothingly against the two of them, stroking against their sweaty scalps and temples, and Femi closed her eyes in relaxation; they were safe. As Carter drove the car around the side of the house and onto the main road that lead down through the gates, he spotted all of the men in black waiting outside the house, expecting their partners to come back out with the two of them.

"Eat my dust, billy-boys!" Carter shouted confidently at them.

They all jumped and looked round just in time to see the car whiz by and speed down towards the gates. Femi chuckled softly and opened her eyes. They coincidentally wandered to the mirror in front of her, and they frightfully locked with a pair of dark, deadly ones that were right behind her. She gasped and went to scream but a pair of strong, vicious hands gripped around her throat and cut off her oxygen supply.

"Femi!" Carter gasped "Get off her! Get** OFF**!" He roared worriedly.

As the man choked Femi, she brought her hands up and scratched at his hands to try and push them off. But it was no use. Her face was already turning purple, and she could feel the blood rushing to her head.

"Where is de' Diamond Heart? _Where is it_?!" He yelled furiously.

Carter spotted a wrench in the bash board in front of him and, quickly leaning down and grabbing it, he swung his hand out and smacked it into the side of the man's head. He cried out in pain and released Femi's grip as he rolled back towards the tail of the car and fell off into the dirt road, unconscious and lifeless. Femi released a heavy breath and leant her head back whilst rubbing her sore throat.

"Are you ok?" He asked Femi in concern.

Femi's throat was far too sore for her to speak, but she nodded anyhow. She let out a number of small coughs and a tear trickled from her eye just as they left through the large gates. Femi caught a glimpse of Benny in his still beeping taxi; his forehead was resting against the wheel and he wasn't moving. Blood was smeared upon his left cheek... He was dead. Femi closed her eyes and turned her head away to face Carter instead. Carter frowned and kept his stern, cold eyes upon the road in front of him.

"Th... ma..." Femi wheezed out.

Carter glanced back and forth from her and the road "What?"

"Map." Femi coughed.

Carter seemed to avoid her gaze all of a sudden, and Femi's heart sank. She sat up in her seat and felt hot, burning tears rush to her eyes.

"Carter..." She whispered "The map. Where's the ma...-??"

Carter then reached into the pocket on the right side of his blazer and pulled out a small, square piece of paper. He held it up to show Femi and she smiled in relief. Carter chuckled softly and placed it in the dash board before closing it shut.

"Don't worry - I'm not useless at everything. And that includes forgetting... Eighteen, Widdlecove Drive." He quoted for her.

Femi smiled to herself and leant back in her chair to enjoy the feel of the cold wind against her hot throat. She could feel the blood leaving her head and moving on in its rightful circulation... she actually felt rather drunk. But no matter how drunk, bruised, exhausted and sore she may have felt, she knew that where they were heading was someplace where they could recover.

Someplace safe.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Carter soon realised that Femi had been very quiet for the entire journey; he tore his eyes way from the busy road for a second to check up on her. Her eyes were closed and her head tilting to the side, causing the blood from her nose to trickle across her cheek. Carter looked back at the London City road before him and took one hand off of the wheel to push her on the shoulder.

"Hey - Hey, Femi." He calmly called her.

Femi groaned under her breath and furrowed her eyebrows. Carter placed his hand back upon the wheel and glanced back and forth from her and the road.

"Femi." He called her a little louder.

Femi rolled her head round and took in a slurring breath as her eyes snapped open. She looked around in a slight daze, wondering where she was and what was going on. The strain that had been put upon her throat really made her light-headed. The City lights rushed by in a blur so that they looked like streams of light and the sounds of the City were like a song to her.

"Femi - are you with me?" She heard a voice ask.

Femi turned her head and saw her brother sitting in the driver's seat. She blinked several times and subconsciously brought her fingers up to stroke her tingling cheek. She felt a wet sensation and looked down at her finger tips to see them smeared in blood. Everything slowly returned to Femi's memory and she let out an exhausted groan, dropping her hand in the lap of her torn trousers.

"I'm with you." She sighed.

"For a moment there, I was worried that you were zoning out on me a little too far." He chuckled to lighten the mood.

Femi took no notice of it and sat herself up in the seat. She felt a fairly hard lump underneath her and, with a slight hiss, reached round behind her and pulled out the bag of money from the back of her trousers.

"Here - it's safe in there." Carter said whilst pointing to the dash board cabinet.

Femi handed it over to him and he put it inside before closing the door again Femi brushed her palm over the top of her head to stroke her stray curls back from the wind and looked around whilst blinking rapidly to restore the focus in her eyes.

"Where are we now?" She whispered.

Carter bit his bottom lip softly as he turned the wheel, taking the car round a corner into another road; a much quitter road. They drove along a winding road for what seemed two minutes before they came to approach a large, grey house. It was much like a mansion, but it could almost have been called a smaller version of a castle, seeing as it looked so old fashioned.

"Widdlecove Drive." Carter announced.

Femi placed her elbow on the side of the car and then propped her cheek against her hand. She felt so tired. She watched the hedge wall on her right flash past her and soon turned into the darkness of the forest that sat on the other side of a green field, and Carter pulled the car up outside the front of the house in their house where a stone water fountain sat in the center of the parking area.

"That's definitely it?" Femi whispered.

"That's it. Come on." Carter reassured her.

This was it. Now, their hope relied upon the people inside. Would they accept them? Or would they turn them away?


	5. Meet The O'Connells

Carter opened the cabinet again and took out the pocket full of money before opening his car door and running round to Femi's side. He opened her door and carefully picked her up bridal style so she wouldn't have to walk at all.

"You ok?" He asked, closing the door with his foot.

Femi wrapped her arms around his neck and looked up at the house with interest "Uh huh. Thanks."

Carter tossed the packet of money into Femi's lap and then walked back around the car and up onto the curb. Femi never took her eyes off of the house throughout the time that it took Carter to stride across the parking area to reach their front doorstep underneath the grey, stone archway that covered it. Femi reached out and grabbed onto the metal door-knocker, which was the head of a lion, and clunked it against the brown, wooden door three times, and she then locked her hand back around her brother's neck. Carter stepped back politely and nosily tried to peer through the windows on either side of the door, but to his dismay, they were covered with deep-red, curtains that only had a thin gap in the middle where they met which didn't really let him see anything at all.

Femi swallowed and started coughing from the tight, dry sensation in her throat. She narrowed her eyes in pain and brought her hand to her neck.

"That man's done something to my wind pipe, I know it." She whispered.

The door suddenly opened with a few light clicks and Femi and Carter snapped their eyes onto the doorway to see a very tall, well-built, handsome man around his forties standing there. He had brown, combed hair with plump lips and dark, hazel eyes, and he was wearing brown trousers, a grey shirt with braces over his shoulders, and boots.

He blinked and eyed the two of them up and down with a raised eyebrow of suspicion "Yeeeeees?" He asked warily.

Femi frowned in slight hope "Mr. O'Connell?... R-Rick O'Connell?" She asked.

The man lifted his nose up slightly "What do you want with him?"

"We need his help. Our father sent us here wit"- Femi was cut off with a fit of painful coughs and buried her face on her brother's shoulder.

She couldn't talk any longer. Carter looked down at her with concern and then realised he had to take over.

"Our father, Brian Reynolds, sent us here... Some really bloody crazy stuff's gone on, and we found a letter from our dad telling us to come to you." He told him.

The man's eyes lit up with immediate recognition "Brian Reynolds?"

Carter nodded "That's our dad."

He observed the two of them for a few more minutes. He didn't know whether to truly trust them. Any of his enemies knew William Reynolds used to be close with him... It could easily have been a trap.

"Rick? Who is it?" A woman called from a room in the house.

"So you are Rick?" Carter asked rhetorically.

Rick glanced behind him out of the corner of his eye in decision. Femi let out a painful groan when her ankle gave a sudden throb of pain, and Rick looked at her with slight sympathy. He soon sighted and stepped aside to let Carter in. Carter nodded gratefully and walked into the hall; the house looked completely different from the outside. The floor was a shiny, brown and white chequered style and the walls were a dark brown. Lights stood on tables here and there, and almost every piece of furniture and decoration was a piece of ancient importance. The paintings were all of Egypt and Egyptian people and pyramids etc, and there were many small statues of different types of Egyptian myths and legends lying around. The house was very warm and Femi could smell the scent of some kind of creamy incense.

Rick shut the front door behind them and then led them down a hallway until they came to then end of it. They were now standing upon a balcony that lead all the way around the living room, and Rick took them down the steps and over to where a woman was sitting reading a book with a pair of reading glasses on the end of her nose.

"Honey... We've got visitors." Rick announced in a surprised tone.

Femi turned her head away from her brother's shoulder and looked down at the woman sitting on the brown chair. Their eyes connected and the two of them immediately began gaping at each other with a dreamy look across their faces. The room melted away like water and Femi closed her eyes with a small sigh.

When she opened them again, she wasn't in Rick's living room... and Carter wasn't holding her...

_Femi stood at one end of the golden, grand Temple Hall, wearing nothing but a golden bikini suit with a golden veil across her face and a body-sized one wrapped around her hips. Her skin had been painted over with shimmering gold, and on top, she had Egyptian markings drawn in black paint. On particular pattern was on her left arm, like a grid, trailing all the way down, underneath the arm-bracelet that had the head of an Anubis dog upon it. Her hair was long and straight, jet black, and she wore a golden mask across the top part of her face. _

_She looked around and found herself being watched by a large gathering of Lords, Ladies, Servants and... the Pharaoh of Egypt. _

_"Begin!" The Pharaoh roared in Egyptian which, amazingly, Femi could understand. _

_The crowed cheered and applauded, and Femi looked directly ahead of her to see another woman approaching her. It was Nefertiti; the daughter of the Pharaoh. Femi felt a deep determination spark inside of her and she walked towards Nefertiti with cold, sharp eyes. Nefertiti suddenly pulled out two wrist daggers and charged at Femi. Femi spun down and round and, bringing out her own daggers, slashed them out at Nefertiti's side. She missed by a mere inch. _

_Femi looked up at Nefertiti from her crouched position and smirked. Her father was watching. She had to make a good impression. But for some reason, Femi felt like someone else was watching as well. Someone she felt very strongly for. Femi slowly rose up into a stance position and the two of them watched each other with their daggers held up powerfully._

_Femi suddenly rushed at Nefertiti and began slashing her dagger left and right at Nefertiti. Nefertiti flipped backward and did backwards-flips across the room whilst Femi ran after her, slashing her daggers away. She swiped her foot out and caught Nefertiti from her balance, causing her to fall back onto the ground. Femi leapt on top of her and held both daggers to her neck, and everyone burst into new applaud. _

_Femi had won. _

"Femi??" Carter snapped.

Femi blinked rapidly and looked around in confusion. What had just happened? She looked up at Carter and found herself lying down on a long couch with her head leaning back against a cushioned pillow.

"What..." She muttered.

She tried to sit herself up, but the pain in her ankle kicked in and reminded her of why she had to be carried into Rick's house. Carter pushed her back down and shook his head.

"You just zoned out again." He whispered to her.

Femi turned her head and looked over at Evy; she seemed very tense and, perhaps, even a little surprised. What exactly had just happened?...

Femi's eyes locked with Evy's and they both froze again. Femi then noticed that Evy had long, curly hair and exotic dark eyes, even though she had rather pale skin. But those eyes... she felt as though she knew them from somewhere. As though in a dream or something... Rick looked down at Evy with concern and placed his hand on her shoulder so that she snapped out of her staring.

"Evelyn?" He asked.

She looked up at him and smiled reassuringly. She shifted herself from the chair and moved over to Femi to observe her ankle. Carter helped Femi sit up so she could looked around easily, and she watched Evy as she unzipped her right boot.

Evy paused and looked up at Femi, trying to shrug off what had just happened "Alright... this may hurt a little. I'll be as quick as I can."

Femi bit her bottom lip nervously and nodded. Carter's eyes widened in discomfort and he leant down to Femi's side and took a hold of her hand. He clenched it tightly and began breathing heavily.

"Alright - just relax now." He told her.

Femi watched Evy very carefully and bit down on her bottom lip so hard that it hurt. All of a sudden, Evy slipped the base of the boot past Femi's swollen ankle and off of her foot; Femi let out a loud yell of pain and squeezed her brother's hand. Femi placed her head back against the pillow and released a number of small breaths, her face scrunched up in pain. Evy carefully peels Femi's sock down, which she could hardly feel at all, and Evy narrowed her eyes in distaste at the sight of her ankle. Carter peered down to see what was going on, but as soon as he saw Femi's bone pressing up against the skin, he heaved and looked away wishing he hadn't.

"That's not right. That can't be right." He grunted.

Femi snapped her eyes open "What's not right?" She asked shakily.

Rick walked to the end of the couch and turned around so that his front was facing the end of Femi's foot. He looked down upon her ankle with an expression of deep concentration in his eyes, and he then shot Evy a warning look and nodded. Evy nodded in understanding and moved up next to Carter to begin talking to Femi; she needed to distract her.

"What's your name then?" She asked.

"F-Femi..." She whispered "And this is my brother, Carter."

Evy nodded and forced a smile upon her face even though she knew what was about to happen "Those are lovely names... Well, as you know, I'm Evy, and that's my husband"-

--"YAAHHHH!" Femi screamed loudly.

All she knew was that her ankle felt as though it had actually been ripped away from the stump of her shin. She pain was unbearable. So much so that she thought she was going to pass out. Carter rose up onto his knees and looked down at her ankle; Rick had cracked the bone back into place. Carter's eyes suddenly rolled upwards and he gave a breathless groan before swaying over onto his side upon the floor. He had fallen unconscious.

"There, there, it's all over now." Evy cooed to Femi whilst eyeing her brother in concern.

A few tears rolled down Femi's temples and she turned her head from left to right in stress "Bugger it." She growled.

"It's all fixed, but it might be a little swollen." Rick stated, and Femi then noticed how strong his American accent was.

Rick walked over to Carter and dragged him over to the other couch near the other side of the room. He shifted him up from the floor and laid him upon it so that he wasn't on the hard floor. He then leant up and, brushing his hands together, walked over to Femi. He noticed the red package lying upon her stomach and eyed it curiously.

"So, you said you're the daughter of Brian William, huh. Yeah, me n' him go way back." He informed Femi.

Femi swallowed and felt the pain slowly subsiding. Someone suddenly came running into the room upon the balcony from one of the doorways, breathing heavily and looking around worriedly.

"What the bloody hell's all the screaming about?!" He panted.

Femi looked across the room with Evy and Rick. There stood a man in his early thirties with short, brown, curly hair and thick black eyebrows. He had a fairly handsome yet comical face and he was wearing brown trousers with brace-straps and a deep red shirt on.

"Just a surprise visitor, Jonathan." Rick replied and turned his attention back onto Femi.

"Oh god - the last time you said that I almost got my head bitten off by one of those zombie blokes." He swallowed nervously.

Evy rolled her eyes in amusement "I doubt that this young lady is a zombie."

"And I don't like biting heads off." Femi added breathlessly as a way of letting them know that she still had a sense of humour through all of what was going on.

Evy smiled softly and Jonathan walked down the steps to enter the living room area. He walked up next to Rick and looked down upon Femi's helpless, battered figure. But even then he still smiled flirtatiously.

"Well, hello there." He said.

Rick swung his hand out and slapped the back of it upon Jonathan's chest "Back off, Jonathan. She's my friend's girl."

Jonathan put his hands up innocently "Alright, easy, easy. I know when a girl's taken."

Rick rolled his eyes "Her dad..."

"Oh! You mean your friend's daughter." He chuckled stupidly.

"I'm Femi." Femi breathed out.

He held his hand up in a light wave "Jonathan - the unfortunate older brother of my stubborn sister Evy, and the brother in law to this muscle head next to me."

Rick rolled his eyes at Jonathan's useless comment and knelt down in front of Femi. She looked up at him and smiled lightly.

"Thank you... for letting us in... We've probably put you in danger... and for that, I want to say how sorry I am." She whispered.

Rick tilted his head to the side "What happened to you?"

Femi looked past Rick and at her still unconscious brother "Read the letter. It's in my b-...brother's pocket."

Rick looked round at Carter and then stood up. Whilst he walked over to him and began searching for the letter, Evy helped Femi sit up and place her hot foot upon the floor. It didn't hurt as much anymore, but it did still ache and sting. Evy placed a pillow behind Femi's back so that she could sit up comfortably, and as she leant back, her eyes locked with Femi's once more. The remembrance of that odd dream-like vision that Femi experienced came back into her mind and her eyes stiffened. Evy's eyes did the same. Had they both seen it?

Rick's returned presence interrupted their tense moment and allowed them to move away from it quite easily. Femi watched Rick read through the letter anxiously and hopefully; how would he react? Would he throw them both out once he realised just how serious the situation was? Would he be furious that Femi had put him and his family in danger?...

As Rick read further and further through the letter, his brow creased and his eyes became stiff and somber. He finally finished reading the letter and, lowering it from his gaze, released a heavy puff of air and ran his free hand over his head, turning away.

Femi frowned and lowered her eyes to the floor "I know you must be terribly angry, and I completely understand that... My brother and I will leave"- She paused and looked over at Carter on the couch "Well, as soon as he wakes up, I promise you we'll be on our way. But our father was trusting in us to deliver the item to you..."

Rick slowly turned back round as he heard Femi open the bag and begin rustling through it. Femi eventually caught a hold on the red box and brought it out into Evy, Jonathan and Rick's view. Evy and Rick's eyes widened whereas Jonathan just raised an eyebrow.

"And there was me thinking it was something like a diamond ring or a cheque." He snickered.

With her jaw hanging and her eyes twinkling in awe, Evy shuffled closer to Femi and held her hands up in the temptation to hold the box. Femi held it out to her and Evy picked it up with her finger tips as though it were the most delicate thing on earth.

"Oh my..." She whispered "Oh, my, my, my, my, my - Rick, do you know what this is?" She gasped.

Rick's eyes transformed into eyes of detest and anger "The Diamond Heart." He said in a tone of abhorrence.

Femi frowned and looked up at Rick again "I-... I'm so sorry to have disturbed you, but we had to give this to you before we left."

"Left? What do you mean by left?" Jonathan asked to try and get involved in the conversation; he often felt left out when with Rick.

Femi swallowed "Well... Carter and I can't stay here in London. Not with all those men in black chasing after us and trying to kill us. Look!" Femi gasped and pointed to her ankle as proof.

Jonathan looked down at it and winced very much like Carter had. He swallowed and tucked his hands into his pockets.

"Oh - lovely." He sarcastically choked.

Evy looked round at Rick and narrowed her eyes in realisation "Rick... men in black..."

Rick nodded in anticipation "Oh boy..." He sighed "These stories just keep popping up don't they."

Jonathan looked back and forth from Evy and Rick, looking rather nervous "Does this story happen to involve Egyptian zombies and a load of flesh-eating bugs by any chance?..."

Rick nodded once "The works."

Evy stood up straight away and pointed up at Rick "Oh no, Rick... I've seen that face before..."

Rick glanced down at her and said nothing. Evy shook her head slowly and her eyes became stern and dark.

"We have a family now." She harshly told him.

"I have you and Jonathan right now, and you're more than capable of looking after yourselves." He sighed.

"You have a home! A life!... You have me!" She exclaimed "9 years of peace and quiet and you want to go running back into any action scenario that comes your way?? You don't have to be a hero anymore!"

Rick turned to face her and placed his hands on her shoulders "Evy, if these people get their hands on the Diamond Heart, everything will happen all over again... but ten times worse."

"I vote for Rick being the hero." Jonathan added in quickly.

Femi sat helplessly on the sofa and watched Evy and Rick kick off into a talking competition with each other. They were both talking so fast at the exact same time that she couldn't make out whole sentences, but she caught a few things such as 'Imhotep will rise' and 'I had a vision', and 'too dangerous', etc. Femi took a deep breath in and started waving her hands softly.

"Um... excuse me?" She called quietly, but they continued rabbiting on.

"Someone has to help them, and I'm the only one apart from their father that can! I have to do this! You know it's the right thing!" Rick shouted.

"It's not the right thing to desert your family to risk your life! Please, Rick!" Evy shouted back at him.

"HEY!" Jonathan yelled over them both.

They stopped chattering immediately and turned to look at him. Jonathan shifted his feet nervously whilst observing the deathly gleam in Rick's eyes, and he quickly pointed at Femi.

"Sh-she was calling you." He announced.

Femi pushed her hands down upon the cushioned seat beneath her and carefully stood up; she could stand on her foot again, but had to lean most of her weight onto the healthiest one. She stroked a curl behind her ear and then sighed heavily.

"Mr. O'Connell - Mrs. O'Connell..." She began "Please, don't argue over this. You shouldn't have been drawn into it... We shouldn't have just turned up unannounced like this, and I'm sorry that we've caused you such inconvenience, but..." She paused and narrowed her eyes "Can one of you please tell me what's going on?"

Evy and Rick glanced at each other out of the corner of their eyes, and Evy gave a nod of permission. She tore her eyes away from him with saddened look and sat herself down on the chair she had previously been sitting in before Femi had come in with her brother. Rick ran his fingers through his hair and began pacing back and forth with a loud sigh.

Femi was finally about to hear an explanation.


	6. The Story

"Back in the ancient Egyptian times, or whatever," Rick began and received an offended 'tsk' from Evy, "The Pharaoh's mistress, Anuk Su Namun, was forbidden to let any other man even touch her - so you can just imagine what happened when he caught her and his high priest, Imhotep, gettin' it on with each other."

Evy threw her hands up in the air and leant back in her chair, "Oh, Rick, you make it sound so... so..."-

"American?" Jonathan finished for her.

"Exactly." She sighed.

Rick rolled his eyes and continued, "Imhotep, however, killed the Pharaoh the moment that he discovered the truth. In order to save Imhotep from the punishment, Anuk Su Namun told him to run and then she killed herself. Imhotep was caught anyhow, soon after"-

Jonathan snickered, "Damn right. You try sleeping with the bloody Pharaoh's woman - honestly."

"Any more interruptions?" Rick snapped at him.

Jonathan looked rather taken back and shook his head, "No -- no..."

Rick sighed impatiently, "Anyhow - so, they caught Imhotep and mummified him alive, and then they put him in a tomb with scarabs."

Femi scrunched her nose in distaste, "How awful."

"Yeah, sick huh," He replied, still pacing, "Anuk Su Namun had all of her seven main organs put into these sacred jars and they were put in the tomb with her sarcophagus... Then three-thousand years later, along come us, and we happen to discover Imhotep's sarcophagus on an exhibition. The other group find the jars in Anuk Su Namun's, and take them home..."

Jonathan snickered, "Dumb idiots," He received an aggravated look from Rick and held his hands up in defence, "Alright, alright!"

"We tried to warn them but they were relentless on keeping the jars for their own fortune, no matter what the consequences were." Rick explained.

"Now _that's_ American!" Jonathan sharply announced.

Rick suddenly swung his fist back and collided it with Jonathan's nose. Femi gasped worriedly, bringing her hands to her mouth, and watched Jonathan fall to the floor with a goofy smile. Rick flicked his hand and then continued talking.

"Where was I?" He asked.

Evy rolled her eyes, "The jars..."

"Right. So Evy carelessly read from this 'Book of The Dead' - which brings back life, just as 'The Book of The Living' takes life - and brought the Imhotep guy back to life, so he sets out to get Anuk Su Namun's organ jars back - killing each guy who has one to restore his own life - until he collects all of them. He then steals Evy and tries to bring Anuk Su Namun back through her body and soul." He explained.

Femi lowered her hand, still glancing worriedly at the unconscious Jonathan - although he was really asking for it - and looked over at Evy "Oh my."

Evy smiled softly, "But then again, I happened to already have adopted a dashing hero just in case I accidentally raised the dead and needed rescuing. Rick did exactly that and... well, here I am."

Rick smiled in reflection of his heroicness, "We got rid of them both and sent them back to the underworld - little did we expect the same crap to happen all over again, but this time over a Bracelet which would've awakened the Scorpion King who would've called upon a given Army of Anubis - hell dogs - to destroy the world. Basically, without making another long story, the world would have gone through an Apocalypse if we hadn't have gotten that bracelet back into a certain Temple in Egypt by a certain time."

"Oh yes, and then there was the battle between the Scorpion King himself - which... practically brings us straight back to the point of this entire explanation." Evy added.

Femi narrowed her eyes in confusion, "... I still don't understand how that has any relevance to the events of tonight and that small red box of father's."

Evy turned to look at Femi, "There's a short story behind the Diamond Heart as well..." She explained.

Femi nodded, Ok..."

Femi took a deep breath and listened carefully. She wanted to know every single thing about the object that was causing all this mayhem and danger for her and her family. Why it was so important, and most of all, what it had to do with her father...

"The Diamond Heart was the Pharaoh's gem that sat in his staff. That gem, and that gem only could open up the door to the room in which the Sadem Trah was kept in... which means"--

"The Song of Death." Femi whispered.

Rick snorted in sarcasm, "Original name, huh."

Evy ignored Rick's comment and raised her eyebrows at Femi, "You speak Egyptian."

Femi nodded and smiled weakly, "I have studied the language of the Egyptians ever since my mother... passed away. I have worked in an Egyptian Museum, which has only aided my passion in doing so."

Evy's eyes twinkled with delight, "You don't say - you know, I"-

Rick rolled his eyes and cleared his throat, "Back to the story."

Evy blinked rapidly and looked up at Rick. He raised his eyebrows knowingly at her and she quickly retreated with a huff. Femi sat patiently and watched the two of them. She could see that this was clearly one of those loving relationships where the couple bickered like old women.

"Where was I?" Evy sighed.

"The Book of Death, The Book of Life, and The Song of Death..." Femi repeated unsurely.

Rick waved his hand, "Meh, don't let it confuse you."

Evy placed her hands in her lap, "Oh yes! Well, the Song of Death was, well, not exactly as it sounds. Yes, it produces a 'song of death', but instead of killing..."--

"It awakes the dead." Rick interrupted.

Evy shot him in impatient look, "Not so fast, Rick. Yes, it awakes the dead, but only to those that were sang to by its partner, the Sadeemeque Trah, when they were laid in their graves. The Sadeemeque Trah - which means the Song of Death-Keeper, as I'm sure you already know Femi - makes sure that the deceased's spirit is bound to the Sadem Trah's voice. Therefore, when the Sadem Trah sings, it is written that is will supposedly call the corpses to arise and obey the one who is beholding it."

"Alright... I think I understand that part..." Femi muttered in concentration.

"The Sadem Trah was kept locked away in a secret chamber in the Pharaoh's palace. He secretly prepared his own Army of Dead just in case there was ever a war declared upon him and his Kingdom. The only two people, other than himself, who ever knew of this Army, and the whereabouts of the Sadem Trah, were his wife, Anuk Su Namun, and his daughter, Nefertiti." Evy explained.

"Of course, both these women took the Emperor's secret to their graves," Rick sighed, and then blinked in slight confusion, "Er... twice."

Off course, Anuk Su Namun had been risen and been sent back to the dead on a number of occasions. Rick and Evy had just explained all that recently.

Femi shook her head, "How, then, did this information pass its way through time to arrive here, now, if they never told anyone?"

Evy smiled softly, "It was, of course, written down by the Pharaoh himself. Directions. Instruction. And therefore Archaeologists, Explorers and Philosophers came into the plot. Everything is lost to be found again. And, obviously, the scripture of the Sadem Trah and Sadeemeque Trah were shut away by the Pharaoh, thinking they would be safe. And they were, for they had survived thousands of year's worth of change."

Femi's eyes gradually fell and landed on her lap. All of this was so complicated to her. She had to narrow it down. Basically, these men in black were after her because she possessed the Diamond Heart, which would open a door to the room in which the Sadem Trah was kept. And... the Sadem Trah would awaken the secret Corpse Army that the Pharaoh created so many centuries ago. Yes. That was it. They wanted to raise the dead.

WHAT?!

Evy exchanged a look of concern with her husband. She knew that Femi was still just a girl in her late teens. All of this information must have been so overwhelming for her. Not to mention how much she had probably experienced since her night started. She felt she had to press on, however.

"Without that gem that you are carrying, Femi, no one can possibly get to the Sadem Trah." Evy continued in a hope to get it all over and done with.

"So it's like a key..." Femi asked rhetorically.

Evy nodded, "Yes. Well - yes, yes it is."

Rick folded his arms across his chest and looked up, "Where've I heard this one before." He muttered under his breath sarcastically; it was aimed at Evy, no doubt.

"But you see, as valuable and important as the Diamond Heart may be, it is useless unless it's collected with what's called the Parallel Stars." She explained.

Femi blinked helplessly, "There's more?"

Evy chuckled softly, "Just this bit, I promise."

Femi sighed in understanding. She knew she was just being impatient. If she wanted to do this correctly, she had to listen to any possible piece of information that the O'Connell's could give. No matter how complex it was.

Evy decided to continue on, "Unfortunately, not even myself or Rick know what the Parallel Stars actually are... but we do know that they allow the seeker to operate the Sadem Trah and therefore project its Song of The Dead. "

Femi narrowed her eyes, "But... without the Parallel Stars, the hunt for the Diamond Heart would be useless."--

"Which means that these men in black have obviously already found them, whatever they are." Rick grunted.

Femi held her hands out and nodded with a sigh, "Right. So, there's the Diamond Heart, which opens the door, and the Parallel Stars which control the Sadem Trah. All of these, but the Diamond Heart of course, have been located. Otherwise, this hunt that my brother and I are the victims of wouldn't have commenced already."

Evy frowned, "Yes, it seems that way."

Femi narrowed her eyes, "And so... these men in black... they want the Sadem Trah, why?" Femi asked.

Evy took a sharp breath in and glanced over a Rick, "Well... the only explanation is that they wish to raise the army that the Pharaoh created."

Femi's eyes became stiff and startled from what she had just heard. She lowered them down onto her lap and shook her head slowly.

"But... but why? Why are they suddenly turning to this plan now? After all these years?" She muttered.

Evy looked over at Femi's sad self and frowned, "Up until you walked through our door, the Diamond Heart was known as destroyed to the world. No one had ever found it, not even the most successful and skilled archaeologists. I, myself, am even rather curious as to how these men discovered the truth of its existence still..." She paused and bit her bottom lip softly, "See, Femi, this is the truthful part... your father was the only human being on the face of the earth to know that it actually _did_ still exist."

Rick nodded solemnly, "And when he learnt of its power and significance, he came to me, and had me swear that I would keep it secret. He was frightened of the dangers that it could put his new life and family in. If I'm correct, your brother was still a toddler, and you were on the way."

Femi's eyes softened, "He was frightened for us?"

Rick nodded again and glanced away awkwardly; he was never good at mushy moments, "His exact words were: _'if anything happened to them because of my hobbie, I could never forgive myself_.'... He told me about the Diamond Heart so that if anything _did_ happen, I could set it right... but... last I heard from him after that, he'd gotten rid of the damn thing."

At hearing this, Evy frowned and shook her head. Rick glanced over at her and knew exactly what she was upset about. She didn't want this responsibility on Rick's shoulders. Not now. For _he_ was the one who had a family to protect now, not just Femi's dad. At the time when he had informed Rick about the Diamond Heart, he and Evy had obviously only just met (and had come back from their first life-risking adventure to save the world from Imhotep). Femi's mother was still alive, then...

Femi's eyes widened, "Goodness... I had no idea it was _that_ serious," She paused and stared off into the distance in disbelief, "I still don't understand why these people would want to bring back an army of dead people. They're no exactly in my favour of being the new neighbours.

Evy sighed softly, "... Serving your God gives you a place in Heaven - serving their God, gives them whatever they wish."

Femi looked up at Evy, "Who is their _'God'_, then? Who are they serving by doing all of this damage?"

Rick rubbed the back of his head and sighed, "Well, from what we now, these guys in black have served both Imhotep in the attempt to bring him and Anuk Su Namun back, but they've also served The Scorpion King as well. So... it could be either."

-"Or even someone new." Evy suggested.

Femi scrunched her face up and placed her hands on her cheeks, "Oh boy... this just keeps getting better and better... these people are insane."

Evy sighed, "Well, yes, insane they may be, I'm afraid that's 'the bad guys' for you. They believe that worshipping a God will give you gratitude - in all forms."

"Ugh... that's a load of nothing," Carter's voice grumbled from across the room, "I'm a holy man... and yet look at me. No rubies. No women. No fame."

Femi looked over at Carter with a soft smile upon her face. Rick walked over to him and looked down at his dizzy face.

"Well, morning sunshine." He teased.

Carter rubbed his forehead and sat himself up, "Wh... What the bloody hell happened?"

"You took one look at your sister's ankle and decided to take a nap, that's what." Rick chuckled.

Carter looked over at his sister and she smiled a little more. He rubbed the back of his head with slight embarrassment and then stood to his feet. However, as he walked over to Femi, he noticed Jonathan lying on the floor.

"Blimey! There's a dead man on the ground!" He exclaimed and jumped.

Jonathan's eyebrows lowered in discomfort, "I'm not dead..."

Carter's eyes widened in surprise and Rick rolled his eyes. He leant a hand down and held it there until Jonathan opened his eyes, gave him a dirty look, and then accepted it and climbed up onto his feet. He swayed for a second or two before catching his balance, and he then slid his thumbs underneath the braces of his trousers and flicked them against his chest.

"Right - where are we?" He asked.

Rick looked round at Femi and Carter and nodded to himself, "We're at the part where we need to think of a plan."

Just at that moment, the sound of many humming cars pulled up outside the front of Rick's house. Everyone looked round at the doorway across the other side of the room which led out into the front hallway...

_Smasssssshhh _

Jonathan and Carter both jumped in unison, and Jonathan looked over at everyone again, "I've got one - running away. It always seemed to work in the past."

Rick shook his head and looked down at the red box in Evy's hands. Evy followed his gaze and observed it mournfully; she knew what they had to do.

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**_Author's Note_**: _I want to apologise, again, for the careless mistake that I have made. I know you must all be classing me as an unreliable writer now, but please, understand that this was a rare error. This will **not **happen again, ever, I promise you. Please continue to read and, hopefully, enjoy the story :_


	7. King of Spades

Femi and Carter followed Rick and the others down another warm, decorated hallway until they came to a white door; Evy opened it and switched a light on to reveal a small garage. One by one, they all filed in, and Femi scanned her eyes over a number of different cars.

"Oh, not again..." Femi whispered in remembrance of her choking incident earlier that night.

Evy and Rick led them through the few cars and Carter couldn't help but admire them (they didn't have as many as their father, so it wasn't too hard to reach the car that they were being given to use). They finally stopped next to a black, shiny car which had a roof, thankfully for Femi.

Rick grabbed Jonathan by his shoulder and pulled him close "You listen, and you listen good - take them to Alex's house and make sure he knows exactly what's goin' on. You got it?"

Jonathan nodded "Right, I got it."

He nodded and let him go so that he could climb into the driver's seat. Femi looked back and forth from Jonathan and the two married O'Connell's in fear and sadness.

"B-B-but what about you two??" She stuttered.

Evy shook her head "Don't you worry about us, Femi, we'll be fine. Just go straight to Alex and show him the box - he'll know exactly what to do."

Femi stepped towards him, one hand gripping the red bag and the other hanging onto Carter's sleeve "But we can't just leave you - come with us!"

Rick shook his head and opened the door "As flattered as I am, we really don't have time to express how much we care for each other's safety."

Carter, as guilty as he felt, knew that they were right. After all, this is what they were telling them to do. They wanted them to go. And so, he carefully led Femi over to the open car door and helped her get inside. Rick walked around to the other side of the car and opened the garage door as quickly as he could for them, and whilst he did so, Femi unwound the window to speak out to him.

"You can't defeat all of them - just the two of you! Why can't you just come with us? Please?!" She exclaimed.

Rick turned around once the garage door had lifted up fully, revealing the dark night outside "They're after all of us now, and I'd can't be you two. You're too important, kid. Besides, I've taught Evy a few things through all these years" He winked and smiled "We can hold out long enough to buy you all some time to escape... Make sure you guard that box with all you've got, Femi. If they get it... well, that'd just be really, really, bad."

Jonathan started up the car and Rick jogged back round to Evy's side. Carter, having unwound his window also, looked up at them both and smile genuinely.

"Thanks... for everything - you know." He said, feeling slightly awkward.

Evy smiled warmly "Don't worry, Carter - you're doing just as well as you had hoped to at being her older brother."

Carter paused and furrowed his eyebrows in confusion "How did yo"-

"We knew your mother well" She interrupted him and tilted her head to the side "She would be proud of you. Both of you."

"See you later, old mum! Rick, take care of my baby sister for me!" He called out.

"Oh! -- And Femi!" Eva gasped, catching her attention again just before she was about to lean back from the window "Tell Alex... Tell Alex that we love him, and that this is the chance."

Femi lowered her eyebrows in wonder over what the second part of the message meant. With that, Jonathan pulled on the gear stick and, stepping down on the pedal, sent the car speeding out of the garage at the exact same time as men in black reached the doorway and spotted Evy and Rick. Femi and Carter turned around and watched them both get into fighting stances, and after that, they drove around the side of the house where all of the empty jeeps were parked and reached the main road safely; they could no longer see them.

Their next journey had begun.

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Jonathan had been driving the siblings for at least an hour now, and the journey had been completely silent for the entire time. Nothing but the whispers of the city from the other side of the windows and the humming of the engine could be heard. It was like everyone was staying quiet for fear that even a single breath would crack the precious silence and bring everyone back into a deep abyss of fear, sadness and worry over everything that had previously happened.

But Femi couldn't hold it in any longer.

Femi leant the side of her head against the window and watched the city lights flash by her blurry, teary vision. Her heart felt as though it was as heavy as a cannon ball, and her throat was tight with chunks of sadness and guilt. A tear rolled down her cheek and she sniffed, wiping it away. Carter raised an eyebrow of recognition and looked over at her; he knew those sniffs from anywhere.

"Femi?" He asked "You ok?"

Femi remained in a reflective silence for a moment before taking a quiet breath in "How could we have just left them like that..."

Jonathan flipped his mirror down and looked back at Femi "Oh, don't worry your buns, Femi. I know them, and they won't go down without a jolly good fight."

Femi leant away from the window and shook her head "But that doesn't mean that what we did was wrong and immoral. It doesn't mean that they aren't going to get hurt... We should never have left them."

Carter frowned at seeing his little sister upset and reached across to place his hand on hers "Femi, don't feel guilty. We've been dragged into a situation where all we can do is to listen and do as people say... we'd be dead otherwise... It's what's keeping us alive."

Femi looked over at her brother as another tear fell, landing on the back of his hand "But it's not keeping everyone else alive."

Carter paused and watched Femi in silence. He knew that she was taking of this to heart; that was what she was like. Too caring. Too sensitive. Too thoughtful. But then again... can anyone be 'too' anything? Carter sighed lowly and shook his head, looking down at the middle seat.

"What else can we do?... Rick and Evy ordered us to go. They told us to." He tried to convince her.

"If they told us to go and dive head first off of a bridge, do you honestly think we would do that as well?" She snapped "All we're doing is getting more and more people hurt... We have the information we need - we should just break off into pairs and avoid putting anyone else in danger."

"Um - excuse the interruption, but I don't think that's such a good idea." Jonathan said from the front.

Femi ignored his opinion and continued watching her brother. Carter looked up at her with stubborn eyes and shook his head gently.

"He's right - it's a terrible idea. We need to follow the rules we're being given, or we'll probably end up being killed ourselves." He told her.

"I'd gladly die first than have another ten people murdered and have to live with the guilt of it all..." Femi whispered "I... just..." She paused and looked down, closing her eyes "If anymore people die because of me... I just won't be able to live with myself."

"Hey - I'm in the same situation as you, you know, Femi. D'you think I like this? D'you think I'm not upset about the taxi driver and dad? Now the O'Connell's??" He snapped impatiently "Get your act together, Femi - we've made it this far, if you quit now, all their experiences will be for nothing."

Femi shook her head in dry amusement "'Experiences'... You say it as though they're all still alive."

"You don't know that they're dead!... Well, apart from old Berny, bless his soul" Carter corrected himself "I know you, Femi; you're not a quitter... And I also know that we've been through a hell of a lot tonight, and this is just a phase that one of us is expected to go through. It's been a shock."

"Too right it has." Jonathan scoffed.

Femi looked up at him with another tear falling "... What are we getting ourselves into, Carter?..."

Carter squeezed her hand reassuringly "We're getting into something that dad obviously thinks we can handle... And we can. You and me."

"And me and Alex, don't forget. We're gonna' make a right team we are" Jonathan added in "Although... just to let you know, I don't care for being seen as a hero, if you know what I'm saying. I prefer my life rather than my pride."

Femi couldn't help but smile softly at his comment "You'll do well at being my brother's partner then, Jonathan - I can call you Jonathan, can't I?"

Jonathan looked at her in his mirror and winked "You... can call me anything you want, my lovely."

Carter blinked and scrunched his nose up in distaste, whereas Femi just rolled her eyes and leant back against the window. Jonathan turned the car around the next corner and Femi watched the cars stopped at the traffic lights move away from them.

"You know, Carter" Femi whispered "You've really come through tonight..." She smiled to herself "I appreciate it."

Carter smiled to himself also and nodded silently at the window. A single, transparent droplet of water fell down from the dark, icy sky and just happened to land on Femi's window. It was beginning to rain. And soon enough, before they had even driven halfway down the road that they had turned down, every single window was becoming more and more clustered by the raindrops that fell down in greater amounts within each second that passed. So many thoughts were rushing through Femi's mind at that specific moment, but surprisingly, one random thought just suddenly leapt into importance.

"Carter." Femi sighed.

"Hm?" He replied whilst looking out the window.

"I can't believe it..." She muttered mournfully.

"Are you finally accepting my comment on that hideous cardigan of yours?" He asked humorously.

Femi shook her head "No... But I left Coco."

Carter blinked "Excuse me?"

"I think that might be some kind of code for a type of drug" Jonathan told Carter "It's used like soap these days, so no hard feelings... In fact, it was only a year ago that I was enjoying myself at this wild bar and ..."- Jonathan's voice drained out from Femi and Carter's attention.

Femi was far too phased by her depressing thoughts of what could have happened to her poor little Coco, and Carter was now studying Femi's new, mournful tears that were spilling over her eyelashes with a deep concern for her. He had seen her cry so many times this evening. He hardly ever saw her cry.

Jonathan slowed the car down and glanced back at the two of them in his mirror "Well, again, I'm sorry to break up another moment - and I truly am sorry about Coocoo"-

"Coco." Femi corrected him.

"Right, right - Coco... but I think you oughta' know that we're here." Jonathan finished.

Femi and Carter pushed aside their emotions for the moment and looked out of their windows curiously. Jonathan pulled up to the curb where a number of other cars had been parked - it was sheer luck that he had even found such a fortunate space - and turned the engine off. Femi narrowed her eyes in confusion and looked up and down the street for any sign of houses, but she couldn't see any...

"Um... Jonathan, are sure this is the place?" She asked.

"Alex works in the bar here. He doesn't get home until 3 in the morning, so we've got no other choice than to drag him away." He explained.

"Which bar?" Carter asked whilst leaning over to look out of Femi's window.

"That blue one there" He said and pointed to the bar which had its name written in blue across its black wooden frame "The King of Spades."

"In there?" Femi muttered.

"Yep. Come on then. Chop, chop." Jonathan sighed as he went to open his door.

"Wait! I can't go in_ there_!" She exclaimed.

Both Jonathan and Carter looked over at her with raised eyebrows. They eyed her up and down and then looked at each other cluelessly. Femi threw her hands up with a roll of her eyes, shaking her head.

"Honestly, you men - I can't go in looking like this. I've got a cut, bloody face"-

"Just on your nose and cheek." Carter corrected her hopefully.

Femi closed her eyes in annoyance "A cut and bloody face... torn trousers, a swollen ankle with a shoe missing and my hair looks like a bird's nest."

"Aw, don't be like that love, you look delicious." Jonathan reassured her a little too nicely.

-"Utterly fetching." Carter added.

Femi shook her head "No, no, you don't understand. It's not that I care about my appearance for the sake of attracting a member of the pea-brained opposite sex - god forbid - but they won't actually _let_ me inside... I look like a homeless person!"

Jonathan and Carter eyed each other diplomatically and Jonathan the nodded. He turned away and, opening his door, quickly jumped out and ran around the car to get to the pavement. Femi stuttered a few unintelligible vowel sounds and pointed at Jonathan.

"Wait here, ducky - we'll only be a few ticks." He said and opened his door.

Femi gasped in anger and looked round at him. He smiled cheekily and gave a small wave.

"Lock the doors." He said in a suggestive tone, more than an order.

He then slammed the door shut before Femi could spit her words of objection out and she watched him run around the front of the car to catch up with Jonathan. Femi loud out a loud, furious growl to herself and threw herself back into her seat, folding her arms across her chest in a sulk. Carter in a bar with someone equally as irresponsible and flaky as him...?

Femi had a feeling that she was going to be that car for longer than '_a few ticks_'.


	8. New Acquaintances

The pattering of the rain echoed hypnotically upon the roof and windows of the car. Femi laid in the back, stretched out upon the seats, with one knee up and the other flat beside it, and one arm sticking up against the back of the seats on her right with her hand flopped over at the stump of her wrist, and her other resting upon her stomach. Her head was turned neatly to one side and all of her black, wild curls were resting around her tired, pale face.

It had been four _hours_ since Jonathan and Carter had left her there.

The music from the club burst out through the doorway as a group of people came stumbling out, as drunk as anything and laughing their heads off. Femi stirred softly in her sleep and turned her head to the other side. Five minutes after the nocturnal group staggered up the road with each other in the pouring rain, leaving the club far behind, the door opened once more to let out the sound of the boogie music that was blasting loudly. Out came three men, two, staggering left and right with cheesy smiles across their faces, who Femi would have immediately recognised if she were awake, but the third one, a complete stranger to her. They trudged through the rain and over to the car whilst all talking at once with large hand movements and split up when they reached it.

Jonathan went to move round to the driver's side, but their new friend grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him back "Uncle, if you wanna' drink and drive, then go ahead, but not whilst I'm in the car."

Jonathan threw his hands up "Whey! Come now, Alex, I'm"- He hiccupped softly "Perfectly s-stable."

Alex rolled his eyes "Sure you are."

He pushed Jonathan away and watched him stumble round to the front passenger door. Carter was standing on his right, at the back door, and seemed to be having some difficulty in opening it.

"Krickey, Jonathan - your car's broken." He slurred stupidly.

Jonathan screwed his face up in annoyance and tried to open his door "Blimey, I think you're right, Carter."

Alex gave a small pull on his handle, with one hand tucked in his trouser pockets, and snickered "They're locked."

Carter let go of his handle and then huffed loudly "Oh, honestly..."

He and Jonathan leant in towards their windows and, placing their hands flat across their foreheads to block the bright lights of the City out, peered inside. Jonathan accidentally smacked his nose against the window and burst into laughter with Carter; Alex just rolled his eyes. Once Jonathan and Carter stopped laughing and looked back into the window, they spotted Femi asleep in the back and grunted in annoyance and began knocking on the windows. However, once Alex suddenly realised that there was a young lady in the back, he just stood there and observed her curiously. From where he was standing, she looked quite pretty... although, the fact that she had only one boot was a bit of a turn-off.

"Femi! S-snooky poooodles!" Carter sang and knocked on the window loudly.

Femi did no more than take a deep breath in and lift her other knee up to join her right one. Carter leant up and looked over at Jonathan irritably.

"Great." He snapped.

"You've been here for four hours now - no wonder the lady's asleep." Alex called over to them in amusement at their naive ways.

Jonathan ran a hand over his soaking hair "Don't get cheeky Alex. If you'd have"- Jonathan paused for a hiccup and then continued "just come when we asked you to, then we wouldn't be in this stitituation."

Alex shook his head "If I knew you had an injured lady friend in the car, I would've come sooner... And I think you mean 'situation', unc."

Jonathan's lips turned into a thin, long line of ridicule and anger and he looked back down at the back window where Carter stood. He growled and suddenly slammed both palms of his soaking hands down onto the rainy window as hard as he could.

"WAKE UP!!" He roared.

Femi awoke from her peaceful sleep with a startled scream and leapt up into a sitting position. Unfortunately, thanks to her being half-asleep at that point, she knocked her weak ankle against the back of the driver's chair and let out a howl of agony, clutching it in pain. She fell back down onto the seat with new tears forming in her eyes as she cradled her ankle in a foetus position. Jonathan slapped his hand to his mouth and leant away from the window in worry and guilt, but when he turned his head to look over at Carter, the two of them snorted loudly and had to squeeze their lips to stop themselves from laughing. But Alex did nothing at all, except for just stare at the two of them with a displeased, raised eyebrow. He couldn't believe just how stupid his uncle was... and not to mention his new friend, Carter.

"For crying out loud!!" Femi cried.

After the pain had subsided, she slowly sat herself up and pulled up the locks on each of the doors - careful not to put any pressure on her throbbing foot. Instead of just two doors opening, however, all of them opened and three men got in. But Femi was so wrapped up in her pain and anger that she hardly noticed the new guest in the driver's seat.

"If you tell me to lock the doors and then disappear for four hours, leaving me alone in the company of nothing but the rain, don't expect me not to fall asleep"-

Carter sighed "Here comes the vocalbruary attack..." He said, meaning 'vocabulary' of course.

"You insensate, unceremonious, parsimonious, nonsensical, presumptuous, temerarious BAFFOONS!" She cried, and broke out into loud, heavy breaths afterwards as she fell back in her seat.

Alex, with an entertained smirk across his wet face, turned around in his seat to look at Femi "Is that anyway to greet the man of your dreams?..."

Femi froze in her seat at the sight of the unknown newcomer and observed him silently. He looked only a few years older then Femi, perhaps twenty or twenty one. Seeing as his hair was wet - sticking to his forehead quite appealingly - Femi assumed that his hair was, when dry, a dark drown and in a messy hairstyle so that his fringe was pushed from side to side a lot. He had stunning deep blue eyes that almost seemed navy and his face was body looked very well-built. He had a slim, bony nose and a squared jaw line, just like his father... but something about him... something reminded him terribly of his mother. But what? Was it his lips? Cheeks? Forehead? Ears?... It could have been all of them, for all Femi knew, but she felt as though it was something in particular...

The man soon turned back round in his seat, leaving Femi to stare at him in embarrassment form behind, and he chuckled under his breath. He just couldn't get over how something that seemed so sweet and innocent could explode into something... well, not sweet and innocent! And with such classy words, as well.

"Temerarious... That's a new one." He muttered loud enough for her to hear.

Femi's mouth and opened and closed in her struggle to get her words out, but nothing was sounded apart from a few staggered consonants. Alex turned the key in its keyhole and started the engine up.

"Yes, I'm driving. Yes, they're drunk. And no, I've got no idea what's going on so someone needs to explain - preferably the you, seeing as you're the only one who can actually get their words out properly." He sighed back to her whilst pulling on the gear stick.

"Her name, mister, is Femi." Carter spoke out protectively for no reason.

Femi furrowed her eyebrows in disgust and looked over at her brother "You're drunk...?"

She leant in and sniffed him softly; the strong stench of liquor wafted up her nostrils and she leant back with a few blinks of her eyes. Carter made a sound like a horse huffling and waved his hand dismissively.

"Of course not"- And another hiccup escaped his lips "We just ha-had a ... just a couple of whiskeys, isn't that right Johnny boy?"

"Spot on, Carter, my chap. We're sensible adults!" He chuckled whilst pointing at the window like a general.

Femi slapped her hands down onto the seat either side of her and gasped "I can't believe you left me in here for four hours just so that you could get drunk! How impertinent of you!!"

Alex took a deep breath in and pulled out into the road whilst listening to Femi and Carter argue. Well, Femi was shouting at him, and Carter was just coming out with stupid things to try and calm her down.

"Oh come on, old mum, cut him some slack... I'm sure you've had a few nights yourself." Jonathan spoke out as they drove down the road.

"Of course I have - but back then, we weren't being chased by men who wanted to KILL us!" She yelled angrily.

"These men you're talking about" Alex began "They wouldn't happen to be dressed in black, would they?" He asked.

Femi looked at the back of his head and nodded "Yes, they are."

"Driving jeeps?"

Femi narrowed her eyes "Yes..."

"Guns?".

Femi nodded "Yes, but how do you know that?"

Alex took a deep breath in "Well... they're right behind us."

Femi turned around and looked out the back window, only to see four jeeps loaded with the men who had been chasing them all night.

Femi whipped her head back round "They've found us again!"

"Hold on... this is gonna' get bumpy." Alex grumbled.

"What?" Carter mumbled and looked round with narrowed eyes "Jesus, these guys just don't know when to quit, do they??"

"They never do." Alex grumbled in concentration.

Quite suddenly, Alex swerved the car over into the far lane on the left of the road, sending Femi and Carter crashing over into the right side of the car. Femi growled in pain and pushed her smelly brother off of her to regain her comfortable posture.

"Easy, lad!" Jonathan shouted.

"I told you hang on." Alex carelessly replied.

Alex pressed his foot down on the pedal and the car sped up, and they started swerving in and out of the cars that were on the road with them - receiving several beeps of anger from them. Femi looked round out the back window again and felt her heart tighten.

"They're right on our tail!" She gasped.

Her eyes widened at the sight of the men holding up their guns in aim at them. She gave a sharp scream and pulled her brother down onto the seat just before a number of bullets pierced into the glass window behind them and shattered it to pieces. Femi flinched frightfully and let out another scream as she felt the glass falling down all around her and her brother.

"Bloody hell!" Jonathan yelled and ducked down with his head nearly touching his knees.

Alex glanced at Femi and Carter through his mirror and gritted his teeth angrily. He looked straight ahead of him again and did the very next thing that popped into his mind. He turned the wheel abruptly and drove the car straight off of the road and onto the green downs which stretched for miles and were as dark as dark could get; Alex knew they would have had a hard time spotting them there. The car bounced around wildly and sent Femi and her brother tumbling left and right all over each other.

"Are you sure this is the way to your home?!" Femi's vibrating voice cried out.

"This is a shortcut." Alex replied, still deep in concentration.

Femi was being knocked around so continuously that she just didn't have time to look out of any windows to see exactly where they were going or where the men with guns were. She just gritted her teeth and tried to steady herself as much as she could. She didn't know if they were going left, right or if they were even anywhere near a main road! All she could do was put up with the violent bouncing of the car.

"Oh god - Alex, I'm sorry to spoil your fun, but I think I need a paper bag!" Jonathan shouted from next to him as he bounced up and down on his seat, pressing one hand to his stomach.

"You've got a window!" Alex snapped.

Jonathan didn't need telling twice. Femi managed to glance up at the front throughout the wild ride and saw Jonathan wind his window down and lean out of it. She looked away in disgust once she heard his croaky heaves.

"Ugh..." She choked.

She looked over at her brother, who was letting out long growls and groans which were vibrating with the movement of the car, and she narrowed her eyes. She could see that he was looking rather pale, himself.

"Don't you dare, Carter - hold it in!" She snapped.

All of a sudden, the sound of a hundred loud pings and bangs came from Femi and Alex's' side of the car and their windows smashed. Alex ducked down, and Femi screamed with the glass shattering around her again, and he lost control of the wheel and sent the car into a spinning frenzy in the dirt. Everyone let out loud screams and yells as they felt themselves moving round and round in uncomfortable spins, and when the car finally came to a jerking halt, everyone fell over to the left side of the car. Everything was silent, apart from everyone's breathing and groaning. Femi shook her head to rid herself of the vertigo that was clouding her mind and pushed herself up into a sitting position. She subconsciously placed her hand onto the side of her head, upon her temple, to try and steady her blurred vision as she looked around: out of her shattered window she could see and hear the distance City along the outskirt of the downs - but the men in black were nowhere to be seen - and swirls of dirt were rising up into the air in clouds of smoke. Inside the car, Jonathan was hanging out of his window, groaning and moaning nauseously, and Alex and Carter were sitting back in their seats, breathing heavily. Femi felt a sudden stinging wet sensation upon her palm. She winced and brought it back to see a number of small glass shards indented in her flesh.

"Great." She sighed.

"Is everyone alright?" Alex called out.

Jonathan pulled himself back in from the window and slumped back in his seat with a gripe "I'll let you know tomorrow."

Femi looked round at her brother and carefully leant across the glass to check up on him. She placed her healthy hand upon his shoulder and he looked over at her calmly.

"Are you alright?" She whispered.

He smiled cockily "Hey - this is me you're talkin' to."

Femi smiled lightly and gave a nod of understanding. Jonathan gave another jaded groan and Alex leant forwards and turned the key to start the car up again. The engine coughed into life and Femi leant back in her seat, automatically going to put her seatbelt... but it had broken. She huffed and threw it aside.

"So much for safety." She sighed.

She sat back in her seat with her injured hand resting her lap with the palm facing the roof so that her wounds wouldn't get prodded and brushed. Alex fiddled with the gear stick for a couple of seconds before he pushed his foot gently down upon the pedal and began driving back towards the city.

"So... I'm still waiting for an explanation as to why you've all brought me into a situation where my life is at risk." Alex spoke out.

Femi looked up at him in his mirror, although he wasn't looking at her in return "Do you know about something called the Diamond Heart?"

Alex snapped his eyes onto hers in his mirror and narrowed them "The Diamond Heart... How do you"-

"That's what all of this is about. We've got the Diamond Heart, and they want it. But our father, Brian Reynolds, left us a letter telling us to take it and find your parents. When we got there, they explained everything to us and sent us off to find you with your uncle... They said you'd know what to do with it." Femi explained calmly, leaving Alex very perplexed and drowning in thoughts.

He watched the bumpy, green trail before him as he took everyone closer to the City with narrowed eyes. Femi couldn't help but sense a feel of annoyance and intense thought coming from his eyes.

"My parents sent you to me?" He quietly asked, but with a snappy tone.

Femi nodded "Yes."

Alex tightened his grip on the steering wheel and didn't say anything else. Jonathan rolled his head round to the right and looked back at Femi out of the corner of his eye.

"I don't think now was a very wise time to mention that small, minor detail..." He sighed.

"Uncle..." Alex grunted warningly.

Jonathan looked over at him and raised his eyebrows "I'm only saying. Quite personally, I think it's about time you solved this problem that you've got..." He slurred drunkenly "It's been two whole years, lad."

Femi saw Alex's eyes stiffen in anger. Was he going to punch him, just like his dad? They did act awfully the same in their manner and recklessness - well, in that case, it could be called both recklessness and bravery. Thanks to him, Femi and her brother were still alive.

"You're drunk, uncle Jon. Just... pass out already." Alex sighed.

Jonathan held his finger up erectly next to his head "You know... I think that's a jolly good idea if yours. And you know, you're always looking out for me... I love you - you're the best bloody nephew around. I just"-

Alex moved his hand out and pressed it against his uncle's forehead so that his head was pushed back into the headrest "Go - to - sleep."

He brought his hand back onto the wheel and Jonathan glared at him from his seat. Nonetheless, he lowered his hand down into his lap and closed his eyes to try and fall asleep as Alex had ordered him to. Femi tore her eyes away from Alex's' in the mirror and over onto her brother. He had fallen asleep, too.

"So where is this Diamond Heart, then?" Alex asked from the front.

Femi snapped her eyes back onto his in the mirror "Where?" She stupidly repeated; she was now very tired, however, and her thoughts were distracting her from what was going on now, in such a time when she could relax a little more.

Alex rolled his eyes "Yes, where."

Femi tore her eyes away with embarrassment and then reached down to pick up the red bag from the floor by her feet "It's in this bag."

"Safe" He said aloud, more to himself than anyone "It's amazing how far people will go just for a small artefact."

"You do know what it is, don't you?" She asked cautiously.

"Why would my parents send you to me with that thing if I didn't?" He rhetorically asked.

Femi lowered her eyebrows in annoyance; she didn't like this man's attitude, one bit. She leant back in her chair, resting the cushioned bag underneath her sore hand, and looked out the window as the breeze floated in and toyed with her dark curls and soothed the still drying cut across her nose.

"Then you'll know that it's not just an ordinary artefact. And these people... aren't ordinary people." She replied wisely.

Alex glanced at her in his mirror just before he had to pay his attention to the City road that sat before him. The two of them fell into a reflective, thoughtful silence throughout the rest of the journey, and Femi just enjoyed the peace and the soothing whispering wind...

That is, until John started snoring with his jaw hanging down; Femi found it almost impossible to think peacefully with the sound of his saliva gurgling at the back of his throat.


	9. Safe Shelter

Eternity seemed to pass for Femi before the car turned into a dark road and pulled over against the curb, coming to a silent stop. Femi, having gradually blocked out Jonathan's sickening, gurgling snoring and sunk into a ponderous trance whilst allowing her calmed eyes feed off of the magic of the burring city lights, was thrown back into reality and she blinked several times, looking around inquisitively. Alex released a heavy, tired sigh and pulled the gear stick up to complete the process of turning off the car, and he then looked over at Jonathan.

Femi looked out of her window to recognise a long, dark alleyway entrance on the other side of the sidewalk to her. A chill ran up her spine and she gave a petite shiver. It was ghostly.

"Uncle Jon." Alex monotonously called over to Jonathan.

Femi tore her entranced eyes away from the unnerving alleyway and looked up front at Jonathan and Alex. Alex reached over and shook Jonathan's shoulder softly, but all that did was make him give a loud snort and turn his head away. Alex sighed angrily and suddenly planted a quick slap across his cheek, and he jumped into life with alarmed eyes, snapping his head left and right in fright.

"I've never seen the box in my life, I swear! They made me do it!" He whaled.

Alex looked at his uncle with a dry, sarcastic expression "I love the support and protection that one's family brings..."

Femi scrunched her nose up in shame at Jonathan and then looked over at her older brother as he gasped into consciousness. Femi didn't blame him. Jonathan's cry would have probably woken up the entire neighbourhood that they had driven into... well, if Femi could even call it that. It looked more like a demolition site where the dead came back to life.

"Where are we?" Carter sighed huskily.

"I think we've arrived at Mr. O'Connell's." She whispered back.

"Yeah, lady, this is my place. You don't have to whisper as if it'll offend me. Scrappy places like this aren't all bad - it looks better from the inside, trust me." Alex spoke out confidently.

Femi looked up at him in his mirror "Oh - no, I didn't mean it like that. I-... I'm sorry."

He nodded and opened his car door, keeping his seemingly dubious eyes locked with hers the whole time "Yeah. I know what you meant."

He broke eye contact with her just before he leant away and stepped out of the car. Femi looked out of her shattered window and up at him as he slammed his door shut and then stepped over to Femi's and opened it for her.

"My parents are exactly the same." He added to his last comment with a particular dryness in his tone that Femi didn't quite know how to receive.

She felt it best to just ignore it, and carefully slid her feet round and limped up out of the car. She made sure to keep the injured palm of her right hand facing forwards by her side so that it wouldn't brush against her clothing, and she leant all of her weight onto her healthy foot. Alex closed the door subconsciously whilst eyeing her up and down.

"Wow." He said with impress.

Femi blushed deeply and looked away "Mr. O'Connell, I think you shoul"-

"You're a complete mess." He scoffed.

Femi blinked in offence and surprise and looked back over at him. Unfortunately for her, he turned and made his way around to the other side of the car to help assist his drunken Uncle and her brother out. Femi's lips squeezed together in anger and she furrowed her eyebrows angrily.

"Oooooh." She growled.

Whether it was that Mr. O'Connell was so insensitively honest with her, or because, deep down, Femi had hoped that even when looking like a 'complete mess' as he had so bluntly put it, a man would still find her slightly attractive. Femi didn't exactly get very much attention from the men in her City, not because she was ugly, because she was, in fact, astonishing in a very unique way. She just didn't realise it. She hid it away with her dark, masculine library clothes, messy hair... and being perfectly honest, not very many women who have spent half of their lives living as hermits inside their fascination with ancient Egypt know how to 'swing their hips' and turn heads. Femi was just... Femi. She had been a few dates in the past, but none of them worked out, and they only pushed her further into the depths of her Egyptian world where she just didn't have the 'time' for relationships.

What Femi didn't see was that she was using that as an excuse. She was afraid, although she would never, ever, by the gods of her ancient Egypt, admit it. To be honest... the probably didn't even know she was.

"Steady on, lad. I can only take one hand at a time." Jonathan burped loudly.

Femi raised an eyebrow at the sight of Alex holding out his one hand to Jonathan; he was beyond the term 'drunk', anyone could see that... Jonathan swiped his hand out to catch Alex's', but he missed completely and fell out of the car onto the ground. Femi flinched at the sound of him crashing into the concrete road and then rolled her eyes; she was beginning to understand that he was perhaps a little more careless that her own brother. Thinking of her brother, she used her healthy hand to press against the side of the car, giving her balance from the loss of strength from her wounded ankle, as she limped round to see Jonathan being pulled up by Alex. Alex wrapped Jonathan's arm around his shoulders and let out an exhausted growl.

"Dammit, Jonathan, you need to lose some weight." He grumbled.

"I keep telling her that..." Jonathan slurred nonsensically.

"Right." Alex carelessly sighed; he wasn't listening to him in the slightest.

Femi hobbled over to Carter's door and checked to see if he was leaning against it before pulling it open. She stood at the side of the doorway and watched her brother look around cluelessly with foggy, distorted eyes.

"Get out, Carter." Femi gently told him.

Carter craned his head round to look up at Femi and then smiled goofily, pointing up at her "Hey look - you're taller than me. When d"- He gave a quick hiccup and carelessly continued "did that happen?"

Femi closed her eyes and sighed irritably. Alex smirked softly at her stupid brother and shrugged his Uncle's heavy arm further up to the base of his neck along his shoulders.

"Stay there with him; I'll put Jonathan inside and come back." Alex told her.

Femi nodded a couple of times and watched him turn around and shuffle away with his Uncle flopping over him at his side. Femi watched them the entire time that they walked down the silent, silvery pavement until Alex turned into the doorway of a small apartment block. They stood there for a few minutes, presumably for Alex to get his key out, and then moved into the building, out of sight. Femi heard Jonathan belt out the beginning of a song, and then finish it with a sudden groan of pain before the door slammed shut. Alex had obviously punched him, somewhere.

"Femi." Carter hiccupped.

Femi looked down at her brother "Hmm?"

He was leaning back in his chair, his head tilted back, and staring at the roof of the car intensely "I have a question to ask..."

Femi tilted her head to the side curiously "Alright then."

He narrowed his eyes at the ceiling "With everything that's happened tonight... and us almost being killed a plenty of times."

Femi listened carefully to her brother's words. She found it rather ironic that he was speaking much more seriously than he did when he was sober... but nonetheless, she treasured moments like this when he was speaking to her like an adult. A heart-to-heart.

"Do you think that, after it's all finished..." He lingered.

"What, Carter?" Femi asked curiously.

Carter turned his head to look over at her and smiled softly "Do you think girls would be more interested if I exaggerated the number of times we almost got killed?" He asked, and Femi threw her hands up in the air with a roll of her eyes "Yeah, you're right. I'll just stick to the money we found at dad's. That'll reel 'em in like flies to honey."

Femi rubbed her forehead with her healthy hand, leaning her side against the car "You mean bees..."

"Eh?" He snorted.

"Never mind, Carter." She sighed irritably.

Femi looked away from her brother and soon found herself concentrating upon the fact that she was standing all alone in the middle of a cold, silent, deserted street that was distanced from the City to such an extent that no one would probably hear or care about her screams if she would have had to... And yes, being with her older brother when he was sober was just the same as being alone, but let alone when he was drunk. The wind was hardly recognisable, yet when it sighed gently, it spread a comforting cold across her areas of bare skin. And the white moon, glowing down upon the charcoal road, made it glisten like a silver... river. A wide, whispering river, and she was standing on the bank of it. It felt so real. So real that she could almost smell the salty air rising from it...

"Anyone home??" A voice snapped impatiently.

Femi jumped in surprise and looked around, quite startled; Alex was standing in front of her with narrowed eyes and a raised eyebrow. Femi blinked several times and subconsciously stroked a few wild curls back with her clean hand.

"Sorry, did you say something?" She asked shyly.

Alex nodded in confusion "Yeah, only about ten times. You got a hearing problem or something, lady?"

He slipped past Femi as she stumbled down to the back of the car where she leant against the boot to watch him lean in and guide Carter out safely "Excuse you Mr. O'Connell - but I have had a very rough night. I would appreciate it if you could be a little more courteous and composed with me."

"You wanna' talk about rough nights? Try turning up to work late because some bloke decides to park in the middle of the street for no reason, and then when I finally get to work, my boss gives me a final warning, and just as I start working, I get to break up a huge fight and then have beer poured over my head." He grunted as he helped Carter stand to his feet.

Femi shook her head "I find my brother seducing a woman inside a sarcophagus bed at the Museum I work at, whilst I'm on duty which risked my career entirely. Then when we both get home we are immediately attacked by those men in black. I smashed my most expensive vase, slid down staircases and left my baby behind, found my father gone and his home ransacked -- I've leapt out of windows and almost broken my ankle, almost been strangled to death whilst driving to my escape" She narrowed her eyes furiously and took a limp towards him "And then, I found out I am the beholder of one of the most dangerous and wanted artefacts in the entire world! I have been left in a car for four hours and then taken on a wild gun-shooting chase in a car, where I cut my hand up to shreds, with a person who I know nothing about - other than the fact the he is a terribly typical, duplicitous, unrefined character of the male species!" She gasped "How's that for a bad night?!" She subconsciously stomped her naked foot down onto the ground in her frustration... big mistake.

She cried out in pain and went to fall down onto all fours, but Alex quickly pushed Carter off of him and onto the car, and then jumped forwards and caught her just before her knees hit the ground. She gripped onto his arms, her eyes scrunched in agony, and she took a deep, tight breath in. The pain just wouldn't fade. It was like a thousand blunt sticks being hammered into her bone.

Alex gave a light grunt and suddenly swooped her up bridal style "Ok, you win lady." He commented in reply to the detailed explanation of her day.

He looked down upon her pale, exhausted face and remained in a hooked silence. If any other woman had just called him a 'typical, duplicitous...' blah, blah, whatever, he would have just snickered and walked away, leaving her as she was. But something about this young lady didn't. Instead, he felt rather entertained and interested to know more. To hear more...

Psssh, what was he kidding himself?? She was just an overly exhausted, innocent young girl who needed to vent! Nothing special there. Nothing.

Right?

As her pain subsided, Femi slowly came to realise that she had been snuggling into Alex's shoulder like a frightened child. She jerked her head away and nervously glanced all around her.

"I can walk." She snapped in a sulk.

Alex rolled his eyes and snickered "Right about now, you're the only person who I can hold a proper conversation with - do you really think I'm gonna' risk that by letting you get your stubborn way?"

Femi snorted in mockery and leant up in his arms as he started walking back to the apartment building "I'm not going to faint from a small sprained ankle, Mr. O'Connell. Now if you will, let me down." She snapped.

Alex kept his eyes locked upon the doorway ahead "I don't think I will, actually."

Femi let out an exasperated sigh and let her body fall helplessly limb in his embrace as he turned into the doorway and into a grey hallway, leaving Carter outside by the car, humming a tune to himself.

The entire time that it took Alex to carry Femi through the hallway, into the elevator and up to the second floor, she made a particular effort not to look at him. Instead, she just kept her head to the side and stared out at nothing. Alex couldn't help but smirk every now and then when he managed to catch a glimpse of the childish blush that had formed on her cheeks.

Alex finally came to a stop outside an apartment door, number '15', and then nudged it with his foot to open it. He stepped into his small apartment and Femi looked around curiously. The walls were coated with cheap, bumpy cream wallpaper strips and a tigers-eye lampshade hung down from the middle of the ceiling with little beads around the rim. It was rather dusty. Jonathan was passed out and snoring breathlessly on the white bed that pulled down from the wall, and over by the window - which had sandy-red curtains drawn across it - was a long, brown couch that Alex lay her down upon. There were was a small coffee table in front of it, and on the right of the door was the small kitchen area with a number of dirty mugs sitting in the sink. The floor was made of dark, brown wood and there was an exotic carpet in the middle of the living room area. Femi looked down upon it and noticed a number of Egyptian symbols within it.

Alex leant back up from placing her down upon the couch and caught her eyeing his carpet. He raised a curious eyebrow and glanced over at it where the coffee table was just crossing over the edge of it.

"Hand-woven from Egypt" He spoke out, making Femi look up at him "Got it last year."

Something about the stiffness in Alex's' voice made her feel as though 'last year' wasn't one of the times in his life that he proudly looked back upon. But who was she to judge, just from a tone? Alex turned away and marched back across the room to the door.

"W-Where are you going?" Femi asked nervously.

Alex turned to look at her from the doorway and smirked "Only to get your drunken-ass brother who's probably either shivering or vomiting in the cold - possibly even both."

Femi looked down in embarrassment and shame that she had forgotten all about her stupid old brother outside. Alex gave a quick smile and then disappeared into the hallway, closing the door to. Femi was left in the dimly-lit room in a confused, buzzing silence - apart from, once again, Jonathan's snoring (although it wasn't as loud as it had been in the car). Her mind began to fill with many thoughts over what she had experienced over the past few hours, and her emotions were activated once more. Thinking of her father, she looked up at the white ceiling and released a hesitant sigh; despite her battle of forbiddance, a tear managed to escape her eye and roll down her temple. She brought her hand up and swiped it away with her finger tips just before it could reach her hair lining.

Jonathan gave a loud, startling snort and Femi jumped in fright, looking round at him "S-stop it, Mrs" He chuckled "They had it first... told 'em twice..." He mumbled "Nasty... meh."

He sighed back into a quiet sleep - well, apart from his snarling - and Femi raised an amused eyebrow. What on earth were his dreams full of?? She gave a light smile and looked away. At least someone was coping with all of the stress and action. Someone had to, after all.


	10. Some Cocky Doctoring

Femi was sitting in the hush of her thoughts when Alex's door creaked open and let in a strong new source of light from the hallway. Femi jumped back into reality and shot her nervous eyes onto the door. After tonight, Femi just couldn't relax. Alex wavered into the room with Carter stumbling along beside him, slamming the door shut behind him with a buck of his foot, and then led him through the room and over to the bed. He brought Carter's arm around from his shoulders and then pushed him down onto the bed next to Jonathan. Carter snorted and, rolling over to face Jonathan, lapped his tongue noisily upon the roof of his mouth. Femi was amusingly surprised to see the two of them wrap their arms around each other and snuggle up together like love-buddies. Alex scrunched his nose up softly and then turned around with a shake of his head and walked over to Femi; it was then that Femi noticed his was carrying the red bag that contained the Diamond Heart.

Femi carefully pushed herself up into a sitting position and then slipped her feet down onto the floor. Alex stopped in front of her and held the bag out to her. She looked up at him and he raised his eyebrows expectantly.

"It's yours. Take it." He scoffed.

Femi looked back down at the bag and took it from his hand. He walked around the table and removed his damp, dark jacket and hung it over a stool in the kitchen when he entered it. As he began opening and closing cupboards, Femi narrowed her eyes down upon the red bag and slowly unzipped it. She was so quiet as she slipped her uninjured hand into the bag and felt around for a specific treasure. It was as though her own single breath, if it were loud enough, would make it disappear from existence. She finally felt the cold, silver chain and, closing her fingers around it, pulled it out and held it up so that it dangled down in front of her. A distant, dreamy smile tweaked in the corner of her lips and she brought it down to cup the silver ring that hung from it within the grooves of its fingers.

Femi smiled.

_Femi totted down the autumn-kissed street with one hand holding onto that of a beautiful, tall woman with ash-brown, curly hair that came down to the middle of her back. The breeze was fresh and the afternoon sun smiled down at them both. Femi felt her thumb rub against something and pulled her mother's hand closer to her face. The squinted her innocent eyes in concentration and suddenly smiled as soon as she knew what it was she had felt. _

_"Where'd you get this ring, mummy?" She asked. _

_Her mother blinked and looked down at Femi "My ring?" _

_Femi nodded and smiled up at her "The diamond one, here." _

_Femi's mother smiled one of her beautiful smiles and chuckled "Why, sweetie, that's my wedding ring." _

_"Wedding ring... did you get that for your wedding then?" She asked with interest. _

_Femi's mother giggled softly at her our year old "Oh, darling... A wedding ring is given to a husband and wife to show that they are married. It represents ever-lasting life, just as love it ever-lasting That's why the circle never ends." _

_Femi's eyes gleamed dreamily "Daddy gave it to you." _

_She nodded and came to a stop at the end of the pavement to check for any cars before she crossed over with Femi "Yes... daddy did. And I gave one to him, too" She glanced down at Femi as she heard her sigh happily "You shall have one, too, one day darling." _

_Femi gasped excitedly and looked up at her "Daddy will get me a ring, too??" _

_Femi's mother smiled knowingly and used her other hand to brush a lock of brown hair away from Femi's cheek "... Something like that."_

Femi still had a pensive smear across her lips when her memory ended itself. There was a lot more to it, but the fact that a glass full of water had been pushed into her entranced track of sight, she had been interrupted and drawn away from finishing. She blinked several times and followed up the hand that held the glass, all the way to the handsome face of Alex.

"You must be thirsty." He assumed.

Femi stared up at his eyes for a little longer before nodding and carefully taking the glass from him with her clean hand. She took a few small sips from it - even though she was as thirsty as a horse in the desert. But she had better manners than to gulp down an entire glass of water in front of someone. She licked her lips dry and looked around for a place to rest it; Alex took it from her and placed it upon the coffee table behind him.

"That's a nice necklace you got there." He commented.

Femi glanced up at him as if to acknowledge his words and then stared down at the necklace "It was my mother's... my father put her wedding ring on a chain to keep it with him. It was what led us to the safe, where we found the Diamond Heart and the letter telling us to go to your parents."

Alex paused for a moment and looked over his shoulder at Femi; she seemed to be frowning down at the ring on the chain, as though seeing it brought back bad memories. Little did he know that it was the exact opposite effect. Alex then noticed the glass stuck in her bloody palm and nodded to himself. Femi looked up as he turned and walked away, wondering what he was doing next.

"So why'd my parents send you to find me? And with Uncle Jon? - no one in their right mind would send him as a guide, as you can probably see why." He called from the kitchen.

Carter and Jonathan both stirred softly from hearing his loud voice, but did no more than simply move their hands to different positions around each other's backs. Femi pushed the red bag aside, onto the cushion next to her, and refused to move her eyes away from her mother's necklace. She took a deep breath in preparation in and then decided to just let it all out...

"Whilst we were at your parent's' house... those men in black turned up..." She paused and closed her eyes guiltily "They took us to a car and we escaped before they could get to us."

There was no sound from in the kitchen. Alex had obviously taken this piece of information as an emotional shock. And Femi didn't blame him. She would be beside herself if she were in his position! Femi bravely looked up to see Alex's' reaction in the kitchen... but he wasn't there. He suddenly stepped into her view from the right, having dragged a chair along with him, and sat down upon it in front of her. Femi blinked a few times and leant back in her chair to look at him; he looked as though he hadn't even heard what she had just said. She noticed that he had a large, plastic box in his hands, and when he opened it, she recognized it to be a collection of medical equipment.

"We tried to get them to come with us, but they just wouldn't agree" Femi guiltily told him "They said they would be able to handle themselves... and that we had to get out to find you. I'm sorry, really, I would have stayed if it weren't for the fact that they sounded so sure and fearless."

Alex smirked carelessly and, taking out a pair of tweezers, a roll of bandage, a packet of cotton wool and bottle of liquid, shook his head "You don't have to justify yourself to me" He looked up at her with a cheeky glisten in his eyes "You couldn't be a bad girl even if you tried."

Femi furrowed her eyebrows angrily "What do you know about me, Mr. O'Connell? You have known me for but a few hours, at the least."

He smiled craftily and snatched her injured hand up, making her gasp "Exactly."

Femi looked down at her hand just as Alex brought the tip of the tweezers towards one of the shards of glass embedded in her skin. She gasped and flinched her hand back nervously. No way was he going near her wound with that!

"Don't!" She exclaimed.

Alex blinked in surprise at her reaction and then chuckled "I'm gonna' have to wrap it one way or another. And I can't do it without taking them out."

Femi held her hand to her chest "I don't care."

He rolled his eyes and reached out to try and grab it "Do you want it to get infected??"

Femi dodged her hand away "Don't _touch_ it!"

"I have to!" He snapped.

Femi jerked her hand up, away from his grabby fingers, and accidentally whacked it into his nose. She gasped in shock and embarrassment, and Alex gave a short groan and cupped it with his hand.

Alex glared at her from over the top of his hand and released an irritated sigh "You're a pain in the ass, you know that?" He lowered his hand down and sniffed softly "Now give me your hand."

Femi hesitated for a few seconds, but eventually held it out to him. He placed one hand underneath to keep it up, and then used the other to control the tweezers. He looked down at her hand in concentration, but then glanced up at her just before he went to pull out a triangle of glass.

"I'll be gentle." He told her reassuringly with a hidden smirk.

Femi nodded in disbelief and turned her head away with squinted eyes of preparation. She felt a soft tingling sensation, and it then abruptly transformed into a sharp, stinging which made her flinch. Alex glanced up at her as he dropped the glass onto the table surface behind him. For some reason, the two of them fell into a long, heated silence throughout the entire time that it took Alex to pluck out the shards of glass, clean it and then wrap it. Femi often glanced at his handsome features out of the corner of her eye, and her thoughts of self-scolding would distract her enough to make the pain disappear for a while. Femi didn't like Alex in that way. He was just... as she had said before, a terribly typical, duplicitous, unrefined character of the male species... Even if he was terribly attractive.

But nothing could stop Femi from looking.

Carter gave a faltering snort from the bed as Alex packed away all of his medical equipment back into the container box. Femi smiled weakly over at his sleeping figure and looked down at her bandaged hand.

"Thank you." She whispered.

"I know you want to get rid of me, but I'm not quite finished yet." Alex smirked.

Femi looked up just in time to recognise a damp collection of cotton wool coming towards her within Alex's' finger tips. She blinked and, sitting still, allowed him to begin cleaning away the blood from her cheek and nose. It only stung once, when he swiped it over her cut a few times.

"Mr. O'Connell" She called him in question "May I ask - what exactly do you intend to do now? With the Diamond Heart?"

Alex refused to look into her eyes, but remained staring at her cut "I'm thinking about it."

Femi heard the stiffness in his voice and decided to leave the subject alone. She stroked her mother's ring - which was still sitting in her other hand - with her thumb and waited patiently for Alex to finish cleaning her wound. He stuck a thin, white strip across the bridge of her nose, making her wince softly, and then leant away.

"There. Now you can thank me." He told her.

Femi preciously felt the plaster with her finger tip "...Thank you."

"No problem" He sighed and stood to his feet "I'll deal with your ankle tomorrow morning - it's best to rest and give it some freedom first."

Femi glanced down at her bruised ankle "Right." She whispered.

As Alex walked away and back into the kitchen, Femi began observing the necklace in her other hand again. Her mother's ring. She didn't want to lose this, or have to put it in a safe place so that it wouldn't be near her. And so, she undid the chain and brought it round behind her neck under her hair to clip it back together. She brought her hands round and looked down at the silver ring that was now resting upon her chest.

It really was beautiful...

When Alex returned to Femi, she saw that he was holding a thin, brown blanket with golden embroidery decorating it all over. He shook it out into its full shape and then laid it on the couch next to Femi.

"You'll sleep there tonight." He said and turned around.

Doing up the red bag on the other side of her, she furrowed her eyebrows "But what about you? Where are you going to sleep?"

Alex gave her a cocky smile over his shoulder "Lady, I won't be sleeping tonight."

He walked back into the kitchen and opened the cupboard to put his medical box away again. Femi looked down at everything around her and gave a soft, tired sigh. She took the red bag under her wing and then lowered down sideways onto her left, carefully bringing her legs up and slipping her feet under the blanket. She pulled it up over her entire body and, keeping the red bag close to her chest, snuggled down underneath it comfortably. Just as she was about to close her eyes and try to sleep, something sparked in her memory and she gave a light jump.

"Oh - and Mr. O'Connell" She called, and he looked round "I have a message for you from your parents... they told me to tell you that they love you, and that, um... that this is your chance...?"

Femi was left in a short silence whilst Alex stood still, facing her. Obviously, what she had said meant something to him. But considering the distant, engaged expression upon his handsome face, Femi couldn't help assuming that it wasn't a meaning that was heartening to him. She watched him stand in a silence of comprehension for a few more minutes; Jonathan released a wheezy sigh and a car hissed down the road from outside the window a few feet down. Alex gave an unexpected, unnecessary smirk and then ran his fingers through his hair.

"Goodnight, lady." He sighed, and turned away to put the box back in the cupboard above him.

Femi slowly turned her head back round and curled up in a little ball, huggling the red bag, cushioned with all of the money inside. She released an airy sigh and suddenly realized just how tired she was when she closed her eyes, and before she knew it, she had fallen into the depths of her dreams...


	11. The Agreement

Femi was drifting happily through a field full of white and pink flowers, the warm wind dancing around her and the sun beaming down upon her ivory skin. She didn't know where she was, or why she was there, but she knew that she was feeling happy. Like she had never felt in a long time. Sweetness filled her nostrils and her veins were rushing with spirit. As she walked across the field with a royal elegance, an orange smudge caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. Turning, her eyes fell upon a fox cub sitting quietly amongst the flowers with its head curiously tiled to one side.

Femi smiled and bent down to the fox's level "Well, hello there..." She giggled "What are you doing out here all alone?"

The fox cub blinked and then let out a sudden, deep yell which sounded very much like a chorus of shouts, in fact. Femi squeaked in fright and fell back onto her bottom in the flowers. She quickly sat up and looked over at the fox, highly confused and stunned.

"Mary Martha - I'm _never_ drinking again!..." It groaned painfully.

Femi blinked rapidly "W-w-what??"

The fox vanished in a puff off smoke, and the world around Femi faded away into non-existence. As Femi felt herself falling, she went through a doorway of unconsciousness and entered a realm of waking. Her eyes cracked open and she found herself staring up at a ceiling, and could feel the foundation of cushioned bed beneath her.

"You make giving up drinking seem so easy, unc - you've done it so many times." The familiar voice of Alex sarcastically sighed.

"Proud of it, kiddo." He grunted.

Femi took a deep, exhausted breath in and pushed herself up into a sitting position. Lazily brushing her curls back, she looked around the room; Jonathan and Carter were sitting on opposite sides of the bed with their backs to each other (they seemed to look very agitated and kept shooting each other awkward glances over their shoulders) and Alex was walking across the room with two glasses filled with murky-green liquid. Femi rubbed her eyes clean and shifted herself so that her feet moved own onto the ground.

"Drink this up." Alex said as he handed Jonathan and Alex their drinks.

Carter took the glass with a scrunched up face of disgust, and Jonathan sniffed it cautiously. Femi tucked some curls behind her ear and looked around worriedly for the particular something that triggered her memory so abruptly. She found the red bag lying just next to her, obviously where she had left it, and brought it onto her lap protectively.

"What _is_ this stuff?" Carter heaved after taking in a waft of the substance in his glass.

"It'll help with your headache." Alex answered incorrectly.

Carter glanced round at Jonathan again "I don't think it's the headache I need curing." He gave a disgusting shiver and looked back down at his drink.

"It's my damn ego..." Jonathan sighed before glugging down the liquid with a scrunched up face.

Femi assumed that the two of them were referring to the fact that they had woken up in each other's arms. She took another heavy breath in and then lifted her hands high in the air to give a mighty stretch.

"Do you want a coffee? Or a tea? Something refreshing?" Alex asked Femi.

Femi lowered her hands, shaking her head, smiling weakly "No, thank you."

Alex walked back into the kitchen "That's a good thing, because I haven't got anything like that."

Femi narrowed her eyes in offence and folded her arms across her chest stubbornly. She couldn't believe how purposely rude and challenging he was. She tore her eyes away from him and looked over at Carter and Jonathan just as they finished the last drops of the concoction in their hands; they ripped their empty glasses from their lips and bowed their heads down to their knees, making disgusted groaning and coughing sounds. Femi scrunched her nose in a sympathetic disfavour and looked away from the two of them with a light shiver.

"There you are you fat fluff-ball." Alex sighed from the kitchen.

Femi looked over out of curiosity and saw a grey cat walking up and down on the kitchen counter in front of Alex. Its tail was flicking excitedly and it was watching Alex with affectionate eyes. It had a smear of dirt down its chest and, as Alex had said, it really was a rather fat cat. Its stomach was sinking down so that it almost touched the counter surface beneath it. Femi automatically smiled at the sight of such a cute animal, and watched Alex break out a tin of cat food and empty some of the brown sludge into a bowel for it. The cat meowed over and over and leapt from the counter, to the chair, then onto the floor and trotted along behind Alex as he walked back into the living room.

"There you go, tiger." He sighed and placed it on the floor near the table before Femi.

Femi watched the cat dig into its food and frowned softly. It was eating as though it hadn't eaten in weeks. Femi narrowed her eyes in slight suspicion and looked up at Alex, who blinked in surprise.

"Why are you lookin' at me like I just murdered someone?" He asked.

"I have a cat of my own, and I know a hungry one when I see one. Are you feeding your cat as often as you should?" She asked snappishly.

Alex folded his arms across his chest and a sour expression appeared on his face "Lady, does that cat look like it's suffering from any kind of malnutrition?..."

Femi looked back down at the cat and observed the large flabs of fat that were now sticking out over the tops of its thighs. Alex smirked and shook his head.

"Scabby here never _stops_ eating!" He sighed, and walked away.

Femi blinked and scrunched her nose "Why would you call your cat Scabby?"

"He didn't. It hasn't even got a bloody name, the poor little rat." Jonathan said from the bed.

Carter shook his head in sympathy "Dying without a name, jeez."

"Don't talk like that, Carter" Femi snapped in offence "That cat's far from dead."

Carter snickered and shook his head, pointing at the cat "It won't be for much longer, weighing that much. Heart attacks are prone to over weight cats."

Femi rolled her eyes in disgust and looked back down at the cat "Oh do be quiet. He's not _that_ big... And I'm going to name him... Todd."

Alex looked round at Femi "You're naming _my_ cat?"

Femi looked over at him with a proud, stubborn expression on her face "Well, if you don't have the courtesy to do so, then someone has to. Besides, cats deserve the most highest respect... Did you know that they were worshiped as protectors against all evil by the Ancient Egyptians?"

Jonathan and Alex exchanged slightly amused, yet also exhausted, expressions and Alex nodded softly "Yeah... I heard something like that."

"Why'd you think he's got one..." Jonathan muttered, and Alex coughed loudly to hide it.

Femi looked back and forth from the two of them in both confusion and dubiety. Had she missed something?

Alex cleared his throat softly and ran his hand over his head to smoothen his messy hair down - although it made no difference whatsoever. He made his way back across the room and sat himself in the chair on the other side of the low coffee table before Femi. She raised an eyebrow and leant back in her seat as though it would help her escape from his intense gaze.

"What?" She asked.

He looked over at Jonathan and Carter and then back at Femi. He was thinking about something. But what? Femi waited patiently and shot her brother a look of worriment. Carter, however, was still trying to get over the obviously vile taste of the substance he had just drunk.

"We need to make a plan." Alex finally spoke out.

Femi looked back over at him and blinked "A plan?"

He nodded "A plan."

"What plan?" Femi repeated.

"A kind of... plan." Alex replied.

Femi shook her head "What kind of plan?"

"A plan that's, well... a kind of a plan." Alex dumbly stuttered.

"So... a plan? A plan of _what_ kind?" Femi repeated.

"For god sake's, Alex, just explain yourself properly, will you??" Jonathan snapped tiredly.

Alex shot him a look of warning and Jonathan smiled innocently. Alex shook his head at him like a mother would her misbehaving child and sighed.

"We have the Diamond Heart. But those men are after it. We can't let them have it." He explained.

"So what do we do with it?" Femi asked.

"That's what I mean by making a plan... What do we do with it?" He repeated.

Femi shook her head and shrugged "Your parents obviously told us to bring it to you for a reason. You know all about its background and its significance."

Alex nodded "I do. But I don't know what they expect me to do - just go venturing into the Egyptian Desert to return it to its rightful place?" He scoffed and shook his head.

Femi's face brightened and she sat up straight. Alex blinked, and watched her look over at Carter and smile weakly. He soon understood, and rolled his eyes in annoyance with himself. Why did he have to go and say that...

Femi looked back to Alex and smiled "So you do know what to do with it? How to stop those men chasing us? To set everything right?"

Alex shook his hands in front of him "No, no, no, no. Don't get any ideas, ok?"

Femi frowned softly "But you can help us! Your parents sent us to you because they knew you were the only one apart from them who could!"

Alex snickered and looked over at Jonathan "Hey, unc - a little support?"

Femi snatched up the red bag from next to her and tipped its contents out onto the table in front of her. The money spilt out like a waterfall and covered the entire surface just as Jonathan opened his mouth. His eyes lit up with greed and desire and his mouth closed immediately. Femi looked away from him in success and watched Alex eagerly, who was eyeing all the money with temptation.

"It will be worth your while, Mr. O'Connell. I promise you that." She told him.

Alex licked his lips and continued to observe the money with glistening eyes. Jonathan waited in a hopeful silence for Alex to agree to the deal. But instead, Alex tore his eyes away from the money and shot to his feet.

"Sorry. I've helped you as much as I can... You're on your own, lady." He sternly said, and walked towards the kitchen.

Femi frowned in deep remorse and disappointment. She looked over at both Jonathan and Carter and creased her eyebrows together pleadingly. Jonathan's jaw wagged up and down as he tried to find the words to say, but nothing came out, and he gave a helpless shrug. Carter rolled his eyes and stood up with Femi, and the two of them followed behind Alex - well, Femi limped, rather.

"Mr. O'Connell, I really insist that you reconsider your decision." Femi stated.

"Well, I really don't." He snapped back and opened a cupboard to bring out a white mug.

Femi stopped next to the counter with her brother right behind her and watched Alex intensely "Why won't you help us?"

Alex smirked and looked over at her, freezing in the middle of whatever he was doing "Lady... Do you have any idea what's out there in that desert?"

"Ruins?" Femi rhetorically questioned, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Alex smirked and eyed her up and down "Just as I thought..." He turned back to whatever he was doing and took something else out of the cupboard "There's nothing good waiting for you out there, trust me on that."

Femi sighed desperately "It can't be any worse than the men hunting us down here! And not to mention the fact that if they get their hands on this Diamond Heart then, from what your parents have told my brother and I, the entire world will be in danger once more at the merciless hands of Imopet!"

Alex grimaced at her pronunciation "You mean. Imhotep..."

Femi blushed softly and waved her hand "Yes, yes. Imhotep - I'm new to all of this, so stop being so childish as picking at my verbal mistakes when what you really need to be doing is taking responsibility of the situation as an adult!"

Alex ignored her and popped the lid of a red, cylinder container. He tipped it over his mug and out tumbled many small granules of brown coffee! Femi blinked in shock and looked up from the coffee at Alex.

"I thought you said you had no coffee." She growled.

Alex tipped the pot back up and let her see inside. It was empty; he had just used the last of it.

"I don't." Alex rudely said.

He placed the pot down and then poured steaming hot water into the mug from the iron kettle sitting on the stove, making sure to wrap a cloth around the handle before touching it. Femi sighed irritably and placed her hand on the counter to balance herself.

"Mr. O'Connell, please..." She said, and Alex recognised that her voice was becoming more and more pleading with each word she said "We can't do this without you."

Alex glanced over at her as he placed the kettle back down upon his stove, but gave no sign of a faltering strength. Femi watched him with now saddened eyes and a heavy heart. Her eyes began to water.

"We shall never be able to see our father again... And we will probably end up being killed soon. Everything will be lost." She muttered.

Carter rolled his eyes at hearing his sister's breaking voice; not in a sarcastic, mean way, but in a guilty, knowing way. He always felt to blame when his sister cried. He reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder and eased her away from Alex, who remained focused upon his coffee. Femi looked up at her brother and sniffed quietly.

"Come one, Femi, let's just go" He sighed, and shot Alex a disgusted look "This guy isn't going to help us... besides, he'd probably be as much use to us as a dog anyhow." He grumbled.

Femi sniffed again and turned away with her brother to walk back across the room. Alex stopped stirring his coffee with the spoon that he had previously taken out and turned his head to watch after Femi and Carter. Jonathan shot him a look from across the room that Alex recognized immediately. He was telling him to help them. Alex was just far too stubborn for his own darn good. Femi leant down and was just about to begin scraping the money back into the bag when a hand reach out and pressed down on the collection that she had taken a hold of. Femi froze and looked round to see Alex's stiff, annoyed face watching her.

"Dog's have an excellent sense of direction and scent. I'm sure you'll need that on your journey, seeing as your brother is almost just as reliable as my brother is..." He said, making Carter smile "And believe me, that's not very reliable." And Carter frowned angrily again.

Femi let go of the money and leant back up, wiping a tear from her eye "So you're going to help us?"

Alex turned away from her and made his way back to the kitchen "That's what I just said, isn't it."

Femi could tell by the tone in his voice that he wasn't very happy. Her smile faded softly, but it didn't affect just how happy she was feeling inside. She looked up at her brother and smiled brightly at him, and he winked in reply.

"Perfect." She whispered excitedly.

"When are we leaving then, chappy?" Jonathan sighed as he stood up from the bed.

Alex lifted his mug up after sipping on it "When I've finished breakfast."

Femi's eyes widened in a startle "After breakfast??... B-But Mr. O'Connell - that's far too soon! What about clothes and money?" She stuttered, trying to find excuses, and spotted his cat who was now cleaning himself "And who will look after Todd??"

Alex sipped his coffee calmly and placed the mug down "Mrs. Sanders always looks after him when I'm away... And if I'm going to help you, we're going to do it my way. Which means we're leaving in fifteen minutes - get ready." He snapped.

With that, he moved out of the kitchen, towards the front door and entered into another room which Femi assumed to be the bathroom. He closed the door and she heard the lock click a few times, and she looked over at Jonathan.

"Is your nephew always this stubborn?" She asked.

Jonathan nodded lightly "You get used to it - he's definitely his father's son though, I can tell you that."

Femi raised an eyebrow and looked over at the bathroom door again "If that were so, then he'd be willing to help without the persuasion of money and insults..."

Jonathan smiled slightly and looked over at the door "Oh no - his father's like that, too. He only helped you like he did because you're his best friend's children. Something important to his friends are important to him, too."

Femi waved her hand dismissively at the door and plomped herself down in the single armchair that Alex had once sat in "Well he's still a nuisance. It would be so much more pleasant if he wasn't so difficult."

"Things from the past can embitter a man, now're days." Jonathan sighed, feeling like a true lecturer.

Femi sat staring at the money-covered table in front of her when 'Todd' suddenly jumped up and sat on the arm of the chair she was sitting in. Femi smiled weakly and moved her hand out to stroke him. As soon as her finger tips even brushed against his fur, the cat cocked its head round and hissed aggressively at her, bearing its beige, dagger-like teeth at the same time. Femi jumped and pulled her hand back and the cat leapt onto the money-covered table and then to the sofa that she had slept upon last night. Femi sat in a perplexed silence and watched the cat clean itself, happily away from her.

"Well... I guess it doesn't like the name you gave it." Carter stupidly commented.

"Yeah... something like that." Jonathan said in a slight daze of thought.

Femi furrowed her eyebrows in confusion and upset. She loved animals so much, and her Coco - god bless her, wherever she was at that moment (and of course Femi had hoped it was somewhere warm and safe) - had never behaved in such a way towards her. Perhaps it was just an odd cat? It was as Jonathan had said: the past can embitter a man. It was more than obvious that Alex didn't enjoy having a cat because 1. He hadn't named it, and 2. He even had a neighbour who looked after it when he was away - and he surely had to be away often for that to be arranged.

Carter cleared his throat and clapped his hands together, which made the cat jump unexpectedly "Right then. Let's get ready for this journey."

Femi tore her eyes away from the large house cat and peered up at her brother. She nodded in agreement and tucked a curl behind her ear.

"What exactly do we need? We've got everything here, and anything else we may need is back at my apartment." She reminded him.

"Ah, yes" Carter chuckled "Fifteen minutes is all we have, so 'Mr. O'Connell' has ordered..."

Femi looked at all the money "Well, the least we can do is pack all of this away. Mr. O'Connell may be getting paid but his guidance, but we'll need some of that to get us on this journey ahead."

Carter nodded and, taking up the red beg, sat down near the cat and began packing all the money away. Femi was highly confused and surprised when 'Todd' started rubbing itself up and down Carter's side with loud purrs. Carter pretended to ignore it, as though it wasn't anything important...

But Femi felt differently.


	12. No Nonsense

Ten minutes later, Femi was still sitting in the same seat that she had sat herself in when Alex had gone to the bathroom. Carter had packed all the money up and was now sitting with Jonathan on the couch in front of Femi. She was twirling a black curl around her index finger whilst staring at the corner of the table in a comfortable trance. Carter and Jonathan were having a terribly amusing time trying to snap her out of it by throwing invisible balls at her face and clicking their fingers to an annoying beat. But to both their amusement and disappointment, she remained under the hypnotism of the table. So many things were rushing through her mind, and she was in fact still very tired. If it hadn't been for Carter's and Jonathan's outburst that morning, she would have slept a lot longer until she was purposely awoken by one of them.

Carter let his hand fall into his lap and sighed with defeat "She's a tough one, ain't she."

Jonathan stuck his tongue out over his bottom lip in concentration as he made some more catchy clicks "I can take her."

Carter leant back in his seat and, lacing his fingers together, placing his hands behind his head "How long till' your nephew's ready, huh? It's almost been fifteen minutes and we're ready before him."

Jonathan soon lost interest in trying to break Femi from her trance and shrugged "He'll come out soon. He may be a cocky brat, but he's organized."

"He seems like a determined young chap." Carter added.

For some reason, Femi rescued herself from her daze and, blinking rapidly, looked across at her brother and Jonathan. Jonathan nodded and gave a light smile.

"He's more than determined. He always gets what he bloody wants... and he's quite the ladies man, the lucky son." He chuckled.

The two of them laughed with each other and Carter elbowed him proudly in the side. Femi scoffed and rolled her eyes, scrunching her nose with distaste.

"Well you're own your own with that opinion, boys." She sniggered.

The two of them stopped laughing and looked over at her with raised eyebrows. Femi looked over at the kitchen and folded her arms across her chest stubbornly.

"Quote personally, I think he's a bumptious, disrespectful, indecorous, impudent man" She snapped, and Carter and Jonathan froze in surprise, their eyes wandering above Femi "A complete scoundrel." She finished.

"Anyone I know?" The voice of Alex spoke out from behind her.

Femi jumped and leant forwards in her chair to look round. Once she had confirmed with herself that it really was Alex, she rose up onto her feet and laced her fingers together at her stomach.

"M-Mr. O'Connell, I..."- She cut herself off once she had noticed just how... refreshed... Alex looked.

His hair had been neatly combed so that his fringe was to one side and he was wearing clothes that were a lot more impressive than the ones he had on earlier. With a cream, cotton shirt that had its top two buttons undone, revealing the top of his smooth, muscly chest, he wore brown trousers with brown braces tightened over his shoulders and crossing upon his back. He had the same brown boots on, but they didn't look half as mutilated now that they had been put with such a clean outfit. Femi didn't just think he looked refreshing, but it was as though he was a completely different man. Alex smirked and waved his hand in front of Femi as though she was in under hypnotism. She blinked rapidly and cleared her throat with slight embarrassment. At seeing this, Carter clicked his tongue in annoyance and threw his hands up.

"How comes he did it so easily?" He whined.

Jonathan made a huffing sound like a horse "Some fellow's are born with all the gifts."

Alex raised an eyebrow at his uncle and then looked back to a slightly blushing Femi who was looking down at her feet. He followed her gaze and remembered her ankle once more, and stepped round next to her. Femi looked up in curiosity and stepped away from Alex.

"What"-

"Siddown'. I'll wrap your ankle before we go." He told her.

Femi shook her head "That's not necessary, I'm fine."

He rolled his eyes "You won't be saying that when you start slowing us down and we'll have to leave you behind in the middle of the desert."

Femi's eyes widened under intimidation and she quickly sat herself down in the chair again. Alex nodded and, placing his brown, packed rucksack down on the now clean table, made his way back into the kitchen to collect the medicine box. Carter smiled knowingly at his sister and raised a teasing eyebrow. She raised one in return, but hers was of annoyance.

"Oh yes, a _complete_ scoundrel." Carter sarcastically agreed.

Femi snorted angrily and tore her eyes away from her cocky brother. What on earth was that sarcasm for? Femi had meant every word of it. _Every_ word. Alex appeared next to Femi within the next second and knelt down in front of her. Femi kept her eyes locked upon the kitchen area the entire time that it took Alex to wrap the thick bandage material around her pink ankle. Alex often glanced up at her to see if she was looking, but always found her stiff, slightly nervous eyes looking elsewhere. What had gotten into her?

Alex tied the bandage in place and closed the medicine box "You're all done."

He stood to his feet and waited to see if he could catch Femi's gaze, but she looked down at her ankle instead of him. He smirked irritably and stood to his feet, heading back into the kitchen. Femi released a heavy breath of relief and ran her fingers over her head to brush some curls back from her heated face.

"That feels better." She said aloud.

She looked up and noticed that Carter was still smiling provokingly at her. She narrowed her eyes in warning and he began whistling sarcastically as though he had done nothing at all. She shook her head and leant down to poke at the area around her ankle. It hurt only faintly, but she could tell that there was a lot of trapped water from where her body was trying to protect it.

"So, is everybody ready?" Alex called from behind Femi near the front door.

Carter and Jonathan looked to each other before standing in unison and brushing each other down. Femi was about to do the same when a pair of small, black boots fell into her lap and made her jump.

"Put these on." Alex told her and walked away.

Femi stared down at the ugly boots in distaste, but knew she had no other choice. It was either these, or one of her feet would have gone naked. And besides, the boots actually looked quite supportive for her ankle. Femi placed the boots on the floor and, after undoing the laces, slipped her feet in - making sure to take extra care with her bandaged one. She quickly did the laces up as tightly as they needed to be and joined her brother and Jonathan in standing up. When she turned around, Alex was already waiting by the open door for them.

"About time." He sighed, and stepped outside.

Femi's lips tightened in a thin line of tolerance and she walked around the chair towards the door. Carter and Jonathan followed behind her - Carter holding the red bag - and they all filed out into the hallway. Once they were all out, Alex shut the door behind them and turned to walk down the hallway in the opposite direction of the elevator.

"Where are you going?" Femi asked.

Alex turned around and walked backwards a few paces. He threw something to Jonathan, which turned out to be the keys to the battered car that was parked out in the street, and he smiled tauntingly at Femi.

"To tell the old lady to look after 'Todd' while I'm away. Don't worry, I'll be back sweetie." He cockily said.

He turned back round and walked across the hall to another door before he could see Femi shoot him an angry glare. Femi growled in annoyance and marched back up the hallway behind Jonathan and Carter, making sure to snatch the red bag up from his grip as she passed him on entering the elevator.

"Hey!" He exclaimed like an upset child who had just dropped their ice cream.

Femi rolled her eyes and stood in a silence after the doors closed and all three of them were inside. She watched the light appear on each number, going down towards '0'. Finally, that number lit up and the elevator came to a stop and the doors rumbled open to reveal a short hallway. Femi led the two of them down to the end of it and Carter opened the door for her, seeing as her foot was still not at its best. They all walked out into the sunny open and walked down the pavement towards the car. The street that Alex lived down only seemed to be all the more ugly in the daylight. The only difference at night was that it was much scarier. And the same went for the car that they had traveled there in; it looked like it was about to fall to pieces at any moment.

They all stopped beside the car and grimly looked upon it in shame. The sounds of cars around the corner whispered out to them all and the wind which smelt very strongly of a collection of rubbish bags swirled around them.

"There's no way we can use this car. It's a wreck." Femi announced.

"As much as I agree with you, pet, we haven't got anything else. It'll have to do." Jonathan spoke out.

Femi sighed loudly "How convenient."

The sound of a door swinging shut made all three of them look round; Alex came strolling down the pavement with his rucksack swinging on his shoulder. He stopped in front of them all and observed each of their hopeless expressions.

"Why so gloomy? I wasn't gone that long." He sarcastically stated.

Femi rolled her eyes "It's hardly your absence that's caused our dismay, but this so called 'car' that you expect us to journey in."

Alex looked over at the car and shrugged lightly "What's wrong with it?"

Femi narrowed her eyes in disbelief at his careless attitude "Oh, I don't know... Maybe it's the smashed windows. The flat tire. The crooked bonnet. The walls, covered in bullet holes. The glass everywhere!"

Alex rolled his eyes and swung his backpack through the open window of the driver's seat "It's fine. As soon as we get to the station, we won't need it anymore."

"How far's that?" Carter asked.

"It's just five minutes away" Alex replied "So come on, let's get going. The train leaves in twenty minutes, and we'll want to get good seats."

Alex opened his car door, as did Carter, and the three of them started climbing into their seats. Femi stood still with a confused expression on her face.

"How do you know what time it leaves? And what about the tickets??" She asked in a panic.

"Relax, lady. It's all been sorted, just get in already." Alex sighed, putting his seatbelt on.

"Yeah - you'll make us late, Femi." Carter supported him.

Femi uttered in shock at her brother "Well it's lovely to see that you uphold the saying 'family stick together', Carter, really."

Carter smiled innocently and moved onto the other side of the car to let Femi slip in and sit down. She shut the door after her, sending a few loose bits of glass tinkling to the paved ground outside, and she put her seatbelt on. Alex started up the car and the engine spluttered into life. Femi scrunched up her nose and Alex glanced back at her in his mirror.

"That doesn't sound very healthy." Femi shot at him.

He pressed down on the pedal and the engine suddenly became a smooth purring. He quickly tweaked his eyebrow up and then back down again and smirked.

"No. Sounds perfectly healthy." He shot back at her.

Femi snapped her eyes away from him and out of her glassless window. Alex fiddled with the gear stick and then brought the car round into a 3-point turn to face the right direction. As the car began driving down the road and round some corners, Femi started to relax and enjoy the feel of the cool wind on her skin.

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After driving through the busy City, and turning a lot of heads that belonged to the busy workers marching the streets, Alex drove the car into the empty car park next to the train station. It didn't seem very busy at all. Alex turned the engine off and everyone undid their seatbelts and opened their car doors, which made deep groaning sounds and dropped any more loose bits of glass that were hanging from their window frames. Femi stepped out into the open and subconsciously closed the door behind her whilst observing the station. Yes, she had been on trains before, but throughout all the time she had lived in the City, she never knew this specific station existed! She could see the end of the train moving out from in front of the platform and a line of steam swirling into the air.

"Well, let's not waste any time." Alex announced and walked past Femi.

Femi looked over at Alex and quickly rushed up next to him "Mr. O'Connell, if you will, I would really like to know how we're going to get onto the train without any tickets."

"Just leave it to me, lady." He replied, shrugging his backpack further up his shoulder.

Femi slowed her walking down so that he moved on ahead. She looked around at the empty car park and, crossing the sides of her cardigan, wrapped her arms across her front to hold them in place. The wind was much stronger in this area of the City and so her curls were blowing left and right quite freely, and she could feel the morning chill on her neck. All four of them walked across the small car park and proceeded up the stone steps to move into the entrance of the waiting area and ticket booth. The floor was a pale marble, the same as the walls, and there was a large iron clock upon one of them above the ticket booth that Alex had gone to. Femi stood quietly with Carter and Jonathan and watched Alex intensely in wonder. How was he going to get tickets so late? Surely they would all be sold out by now.

Femi blinked and looked over at Jonathan "Hang on a minute - they don't do trains all the way to Egypt."

Jonathan shook his head "We're going to Leeds where our good friend Quince will fly us to Fimike, in Turkey, and then from there we go to The Valley of The Kings in Egypt by boat."

Femi was rather surprised at Jonathan's knowledge in their travels "How do you know all of that so well?"

Jonathan sighed tiredly and rubbed the back of his head "I'm afraid I've made the journey to Egypt one too many times for my own sanity, love."

Femi didn't really understand the true meaning of Jonathan's words, but she was still glad to know that he was on top of things. If they somehow, god forbid, became separate from Alex on their journey, at least she had Jonathan to guide them the rest of the way where they could meet back up with him in Egypt. And Femi wasn't entirely sure what would happen there, or what - as Alex put it - was 'waiting' there for her, but from the moment she had met the O'Connell's, they had spoken of it with no such tone as proud or awed.

"Ok - we're sorted" Alex spoke out, and Femi looked over to see him walking towards them with four tickets in his hands "Platform four."

Femi was completely bewildered as to how Alex had managed to get tickets at such short notice. She glanced over at the ticket booth before she turned and followed Alex across the empty waiting room; the man sitting in his chair on the other side of the glass screen looked highly disgruntled... in a frightened sense. Femi looked back round at Alex as he opened the door that led out onto the platform.

"What happened? That man looks as though he's just seen a ghost." She whispered harshly.

Alex held the door open for her and smirked "Well, I suppose you could say that... Although I never saw my ghost when I was last threatened."

Femi gasped and placed her hand to her mouth, freezing on the spot. Carter rolled his eyes and pushed Femi out onto the platform where a number of other people stood and sat waiting for the train to arrive. As Alex and Jonathan followed out after them, Femi rounded back on Alex and glared up at him in complete shock.

"I knew you were up to something! How could you?!" She hissed softly so that no one else nearby could hear.

Alex looked down at her "Hey, I'm a good guy, I don't like threatening my way through life, but it was either that guy gave us the last remaining, booked tickets"-

"Booked? You mean someone had already paid for them?!" Femi gasped.

Alex held his hands up "Shhh! Bloody hell, woman!"

Femi and Alex looked around warily; no one was looking at them. But that didn't mean none of them were trying to earwig the conversation. Alex rolled his eyes and suddenly grabbed Femi's arm and dragged her away towards the door that they came through. Femi gasped and tried to snatch her arm away, but only succeeded in doing so when he decided to let her go.

"Listen, lady, you asked for my help, and we agreed that we'd do it my way. Stop being so nice to everyone, because they ain't gonna' be as nice in return - you gotta' get them before they get you. And you should get used to that, because this whole journey is gonna' depend upon that quote, got it?" He told her harshly.

Femi narrowed her eyes stubbornly and folded her arms across her chest "If I had known your way was of threats and pugnacity, I wouldn't have agreed to anything!"

"Well, you did, so stop complaining. It was either I threaten that guy for the tickets, or the whole world is put in danger again. What would you choose?" He asked wisely.

Femi rolled her eyes "Well, obviously I'm not going to want the whole world to be in danger..."-

"Right. So if I decide to do something like that, then just go along with it. We can't draw attention to ourselves." He scolded her like she was an inexperienced child.

Femi looked up at Alex with highly offended eyes and shook her head "What, like threatening the man in the ticket booth? No, no, of course we won't have any attention whatsoever when the _police_ turn up for us!"

He smirked down at her "We'd hear the sirens by now... Just stop acting so dramatically, got it?"

Femi paused for a moment to take in his words and behaviour. How dare he speak down to her like that. He was in the wrong, not her. What right did he have to treat her like a child when all she was doing was correcting his bad ways? Femi wasn't taking any of this.

Femi stepped up to Alex and poked him hard in the chest, making him lean back "You listen to me, Mr. O'Connell... I may seem to be what you egotistical males stereotype anything with breasts as a 'useless woman', but I still know the difference between good and bad."

At this point, Carter was smirking softly and Jonathan looked rather taken back. A few people nearby were glancing at Femi and Alex with both curiosity and amusement.

"I can perceive when desperate times call for desperate measures, and I can accept that you are going to have to act irrationally on our journey - when you warn me before hand that is -, but don't you dare insult and talk down to me when I speak my mind and (typically for the male species when a woman contradicts them) embarrass you out of the blue for your immature behaviour" Femi continued harshly "If you think I'm going to allow you to boss me around and walk all over me on this journey then you seriously need to rethink Mr. O'Connell, because I'll tell you something" She snapped, taking another step towards him so that he stumbled back and fell down in an empty seat of the bench behind him "I am far from congruent to a woman such as that."

With that, she _hmph_'d in offence and spun round to walk back over to Carter and Jonathan. Alex watched after Femi, sitting up in the seat, and rubbed the back of his head in thought.

"Jesus... she's almost as bad as my mum." He grumbled irritably.


	13. Femi's Nightmare

It took no more than ten minutes for the train to arrive at the station, hissing and pumping grey smoke into the sky through its red chimney. It came to a full stop and whistled loudly so that it echoed along the platform, and all of the waiting passengers walked to the edge of it to load into the train. Femi stood with Carter and Jonathan and watched a man with a black top-hat kiss a pretty blonde woman on the cheek as goodbye. She had tears in her eyes but was smiling nevertheless.

"We're at the wrong part of the platform; we need to walk up a bit." The voice of Alex interrupted her observing.

She blinked and looked round to see Alex walking towards the top of the platform. Carter raised an eyebrow and looked back and forth from him and his sister; he looked just as confused as Femi. For the direction that Alex was walking in certainly wasn't towards a part of the train that they hadn't expected to be travelling in.

"_First class_??" Femi gasped.

Jonathan chuckled "I told you my nephew gets what he wants."

Jonathan turned away and began walking up the grey platform towards the first class section of the train. Femi and Carter looked to each other with surprised expressions, although Carter looked highly more excited. He took up her hand in his and led her off in the same direction that the other two went.

"This is outrageous!" Femi hissed "Not only did he steal tickets from another"-

"Correction, sweet sister, he did pay for them." Carter interrupted her.

"It makes no difference. Someone else got them first! And _first class_; they're so valuable!" She exclaimed.

"Keep your voice down, peaches." He sighed.

Femi grunted with annoyance at her brother's words. Now he was starting to treat her like Alex, too! Femi sighed hopelessly and marched on with Carter until they reached a door that Alex had just stepped up through, into a compartment labelled '16A'. Jonathan climbed in after him, and Carter helped Femi step up into the small room. Femi gasped in awe and circled on the spot whilst admiring it; it was so sweet! The seats, three on each side, were cushioned (patterned in green and grey flowers) and were made from strong pinewood. There were shelves above them to store luggage in, and pretty, painted oil lamps stuck out from the walls on elegant handles. Femi found it terribly pleasing.

Alex rolled his eyes and reached out, grabbing Femi's wrist, and pulled her down into a seat "Stop being so obvious."

Femi snatched her hand out of his grip and snapped her head round in the opposite direction of him as though to say she wasn't speaking to him. Carter slammed the door shut behind him and smiled widely at the room.

"Well, how bloody convenient, aye?" He laughed.

He sat himself down next to Jonathan, opposite Femi, and rubbed his hands together happily. Femi, sitting right next to the window, stared out onto the platform. There was a man dressed in a grey suit holding the hand of a little girl in a white and yellow dress. They were both smiling, but the little girl looked sadder than he. The man glanced down at the girl and saw that she was on the verge of tears, and so he swooped her up and sat her on his shoulders. The little girl giggled loudly and placed her hands on her fathers head. Femi smiled weakly at the sight; her father often carried her on his shoulders when she was younger. Her mother used to join in and chase them whilst she was still up there. Carter noticed a change of expression in Femi and followed her gaze out of the window. Once he saw what she was looking at, his face lost any expression and he looked over at Femi meaningfully.

The train sounded out a loud, shrilly whistle and Femi gave a soft jump in her seat. When her eyes locked with Carter's, she knew he was aware of her feelings. She gave him a delicate smile and his own one tugged at the corner of his lips. No matter what happened, Femi knew that she had her brother. Fair enough, he wasn't very mature or responsible, but she knew that he would always look out for her. Just as she would him.

The train engines picked up in volume and with a shuddering jerk forwards, the platform slowly started to glide past the window. Femi sighed dreamily and leant back in her seat to try and relax.

"Well. I guess the adventure's started then" Jonathan sighed aloud, and lowered his dim eyes to the floor "Although I can't say I'm all too thrilled about going back to that bloody death trap, Hamunaptra."

Femi tore her eyes away from the window and looked over at Jonathan "Death trap?"

Jonathan moved his eyes onto her and scoffed "Blimey, you have no idea where we're going do you?"

Femi raised an eyebrow and looked round at everyone "...Hamunaptra."

Alex watched Femi intensely "But do you know _where_...?"

Femi sat in a confused silence and looked back and forth from the two O'Connell's. Why were they implying that they were heading for a battle field? It was just ancient ruins...

"Hamunaptra isn't just sand and bricks, lady" Alex spoke out "I remember that place all too well for my own liking"-

"Here bloody here." Jonathan snickered frightfully.

"And what I remember of that place, I really don't wanna' repeat just in case I scare you into not wanting to do this." Alex teased.

Femi narrowed her eyes softly "It's not just the whole world at our mercy, but our father too. Nothing could stop me wanting to save him."

Alex took a deep breath in "Flesh-eating bugs, for starters."

"Then there was the bloody Scorpion King himself, with spider's arms for legs and the torso and head of a man." Jonathan quivered.

Alex leant back in his seat and put his feet up on the seat next to Jonathan as a footrest. Femi tsk'd in disapproval at his bad manners and Alex raised an eyebrow with a sly smile.

"People have to sit there, you know." Femi hinted to him.

"They do clean the seats down. This is first class. And besides, my feet are much worse with my shoes off, trust me." Alex confided in her.

"And then your old mum was killed, and brought back to life. Blimey, that was a rough one - remember Alex? We thought we'd all lost her, didn't we." Jonathan spoke out whilst staring at the ceiling in thought.

Alex looked away from Femi and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He crossed his arms over his chest and tilted his head back comfortably.

"It was a long time ago." He muttered and then closed his eyes.

The atmosphere in the small compartment was now heavy and tense. Everyone feared that even moving to adjust their arms to a more comfortable position would activate an unwanted event in the blink of an eye. Femi could tell that, obviously, the memory of his mother almost being taken from him permanently was hard for him, just like it would be for any child. Femi knew how it felt to have lost a mother forever. But... she sensed that it went deeper. There was more to the situation than just an unwanted memory.

Jonathan, as unnecessarily confident as he was, decided to break the silence by inhaling a large, enthusiastic breath and clapping his hands together "So" He began "When do the food trolleys start arriving?"

Femi rolled her eyes and leant the side of her head against the window again. The track had risen above the town, and so now the roofs of houses and the busy streets were flashing past Femi below her at a comfortable speed for her to take it all in. The vibration of the train swept through her body and she began to feel rather soothed by it. So much so that her eyelids became awfully heavy all of a sudden and hungry to lower down. And so they did.

But it seemed that Femi wasn't in the mood for sleeping.

Within what seemed to be only a few seconds, she opened her tired eyes again. But what was this? The window was blacked out by the night outside. She took a deep breath in and pulled away from the window to sit up straight and look around in the compartment. It was pitch black, and completely empty. Femi's heart gave a loud thud and she sat up perfectly straight in a slight panic.

"Carter?" She asked breathlessly.

No reply.

Femi brushed her stray curls back and swallowed "Mr. O'Connell? Jonathan??"

Still no reply.

The room was obviously empty. Femi lowered her jaw and shaped her lips into an 'o' shape whilst releasing a nervous, quiet breath. What was going on? The train was still moving, no doubt, because she could hear the soft screeches of the rails every now and then and the rumbling of the engine. She could still feel the vibration in her stomach. Femi slowly stood up and squinted her eyes to try and see round at the other seats; empty. They had all gone somewhere and left her!

"How rude!" She gasped.

Perhaps they were just being polite because she had fallen asleep? Maybe they went to get drinks or something. But still, they could have left the lights on for her in case she awoke. Femi walked to the door with an annoyed shake of her head and slid the door open. Her eyes immediately locked with a pair of chilling blue ones, and when her vision expanded, she understood that the visitor didn't have any skin! In fact, he was a walking corpse; she could see his bones and rotted muscles, and the cracked few teeth that remained in his jaw. Femi was frozen to the spot with a trembling heart and soul.

"H-h-help..." She breathed out.

"Keetah mi pharos, aja nilo." The corpse growled to her.

He reached his hand out towards her face and Femi leapt back with a shrilling scream. Everything around her changed like a slide-show changing its pictures. The room wasn't light, but it wasn't dark, but filled with the orange glow of a sunset that was shining through the window. It was warm, and Femi could feel a numb patch on the side of her forehead where she had been leaning her head against the window. But now, she was sitting back in her seat, breathing heavily. Femi's watering eyes flickered around the compartment that she had just seen in complete darkness and gasped over at the door in fright.

To her relief, it was shut, and there was no figure in sight.

"Er..." A confused voice uttered.

Femi looked away from the door and found Jonathan and Carter sitting in front of her, looking highly stunned. Femi swallowed and looked over to her left; Alex was there too.

"You..." She breathed out, looking around at all three of them "And you, and you!"

Jonathan leant into Carter, keeping his eyes on Femi "What is she talking about?" He whispered without hardly moving his lips, not wanting Femi to see.

Carter shook his head faintly and leant forwards to reach Femi. He placed his hand on hers and she jumped in a startle.

"Woah there..." Carter chuckled "Are you ok?"

"That had to be either one of the most amusing or disturbing nightmare screams I've ever heard." Alex chuckled from next to her.

Femi stared at her brother and her breathing slowed down "It was a dream?"

It was more than obvious that Carter was trying to stifle a laugh "Uh-huh..."

Jonathan's sudden loud snort acted as a catalyst to the other two breaking into laughter also. Femi snatched her hand away from her brother and looked around at them all as they laughed at her. Femi felt anger bubble inside of her and she shot up to her feet.

"Oh, that's right, laugh it_ all_ up!" She growled angrily.

Carter waved his hand at her "It-it's just..."

"Your face!" Jonathan finished for him.

Femi clenched her fists and growled out again "I'm so glad that you find my displeasure so terribly entertaining! I hope you... I hope you choke on your own food and throw up!"

With that, Femi stormed past all of them and tore the sliding door aside to let herself out. When she spun round to close the door again, she noticed that Alex was no longer laughing despite how much he was smiling with amusement. She shot him a glare of hatred and then pulled the door shut as hard as she could to create a loud bang. Pushing herself away from the door, she brought her hands up to her head and let out a soft whimper.

What on earth was that dream all about?

Femi closed her eyes and tried to shrug it off. She hadn't eaten in a whole day now, that was probably why she was having odd dreams like that. At that thought, Femi's stomach let out a growl of agreement and she looked down at it.

"Alright; let's get you some food then." She sighed.

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Meanwhile, back in the compartment room, Jonathan and Carter were just calming down and settling into another comfortable quiet. Carter's smile slowly faded as his eyes wandered over to the door where Femi stormed out. He brought his hand up to rub the back of his head and sighed lightly.

"Don't worry old chap - sister's can never stay mad at their brothers for too long." Jonathan reassured him once he noticed the guilt in his eyes.

Carter snickered and looked out the window at the sunset "You don't know my sister."

"Stubborn?" Alex rhetorically asked.

Carter smirked and looked over at him "How ever would you guess?"

Alex shrugged sarcastically "Ah, you know, just a lucky guess."

Carter shrugged lightly and looked back and forth from Jonathan and Alex "She's not all that bad, once you've known her for long enough."

"Yeah, and how long have you known her?" Alex rhetorically asked "You're her brother."

Carter rolled his eyes "I don't mean years. I mean days. Besides, she's not all that sociable around guys."

Alex snickered and glanced out the window "I would never have guessed..." He muttered, remembering her impressive outburst on the platform.

Alex had to take a second glance at the window, for even though it could have been a bird or his mind playing tricks on him, he was more than sure that he had just seen something black dash past the window. Alex narrowed his eyes and moved over into Femi's seat to look out. The train was going at no more than 30mph, which wasn't very fast at all considering it was a train.

"You alright, mate?" Carter asked with a raised eyebrow.

Alex didn't reply to him through his deep concentration. He looked left towards the back of the train, but couldn't see far forward enough to see all the way down. But so far, there was just brown ground and green trees in sight. He turned his head right, and to his complete dismay, he just saw the back leg of a horse move up front, too far for him to see. Alex leant away from the window and looked over at the two of them.

"Carter - we need to find your sister." He said seriously.

"Oi, oi, what's got your panties in a twist nephew?" Jonathan asked calmly.

Alex shot to his feet and walked across the room to get to the door "We've been followed."

Jonathan furrowed his eyebrows in slight worry "Followed?... Please tell me it was by a group of exotic, half-naked women."

"Sounds good." Carter commented.

Alex opened the door "Afraid not. Let's go."

He stepped over to the other side of the hallway and looked out of the window. Looking down, he suddenly saw a brown horse slowly galloping past him towards the front of the train with a man dressed in black riding it, his black robes swishing around in the wind. Alex cursed under his breath and took off towards the front of the train.

Carter and Jonathan spotted the horse just before it moved out of view. They both turned to look at each other with nervous expressions, and then, in unison, they spun round and took off after Alex in a wild run side by side.

Alex pulled the door open and moved into the next first class carriage. He started to speed up and was soon jogging along side the black rider outside the windows. Passing the first class compartment rooms on his right, no one was aware of what was going on outside of their walls. It was as though the whole world was oblivious to the real dangers and mysteries that they just didn't have the time to believe in.

Alex reached the next door and swung it open. This wasn't a first class carriage at all, and so on either side of it were seats and tables being used up by chatty passengers. Alex jogged down the isle and kept looking out of the windows on his left to watch the mystery rider. The man turned his head a few times and finally noticed Alex racing along next to him. It was a competition now; Alex somehow knew that the man was aware of where Femi had gone. And she was holding the red bag.

"Shit." He hissed.

Alex moved on through the isle with an easy grace, unlike Jonathan and Carter behind him who were wobbling about in their worry, knocking into people on either side of them. Carter pushed past Jonathan with a grunt and apologized to the young lady next to him with a charming smile. She rolled her eyes and went back to reading with disinterest. Alex tore his eyes away from the black rider to open the door to the next carriage, and as he stepped through, he immediately looked over to the window; it took an extra few seconds for the rider to appear, which mean that Alex was in the lead. He didn't waste another moment before continuing down the isle at a fast pace - Jonathan and Carter being held up at the doorway caused by both their selfish determination to get through it first, ergo, getting stuck. A number of people looked up from their seats to see what the smear of colour was that flashed past the corner of their eyes, and had only wished they hadn't when the blubbering Carter and Jonathan came staggering by in a race against each other...

Meanwhile, only to carriages down, Femi had found herself an empty seat in a carriage that was pretty much empty. The carriage next door was where everyone kept their luggage, if say they were going to someone further than others. It was the end of the train. She had a small prawn and mayonnaise sandwich in her lap with a glassed bottle of water, and she was staring out the window on the right side of her. She was sitting on the outside seat, near the very middle of the entire carriage. It was quiet, apart from the rumbling of the engine and the wheels on the tracks.

And her thoughts.

_Keetah mi pharos, aja nilo..._

The voice rang over and over in her mind and she tried to shake it from her each time that it did so. But it only came back. Femi sighed and took a bite from her sandwich. Mmm. Delicious.

"Femi? Femi??" A panicked voice called out.

Femi stopped chewing - and enjoying her quality time alone - and stared at the seat before her. She knew that voice. Femi causally sunk down in her seat and continued chewing on her sandwich as though she hadn't heard it. She didn't want to see that egotistical moron. Not after the way he laughed at her.

Just then, the door to the storage carriage swung open and everyone looked up to see a man dressed in black standing there. Femi's swallowed at that very moment, and just as she took in the facts, her heart leapt up and stopped her mouthful from moving down her oesophagus. Femi felt a sharp scratch in her throat and let out a spluttering cough, and breathed in heavily, which only caused the chunk of food to get even more stuck in her throat. She suddenly forgot all about the man in the doorway, who had now moved into the carriage with two others, and stood to her feet with wide eyes and waving her hands frantically. Alex stood and watched with narrowed eyes until Carter and Jonathan ran into the back of him and pushed him forwards.

"Blimey, she's choking!" Carter exclaimed.


	14. Just Coincidence?

Femi patted her chest desperately and stumbled out into the isle in her panic. Alex marched over to her and spun her round to pull her into him, backwards. He wrapped his arms around her waist and started pressing his fists into her stomach. After three whacks, she made a choking sound and the small ball of sandwich flew out from her mouth and landed on the floor a few feet away in front of their attackers. She released an exhausted breath of relief and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

Alex removed his arms from around her and grabbed her wrist "Quick."

Femi was still in a state of dizziness and shock as he tried to pull her away. She jerked her hand out of his and stood her ground.

"I think not, Mr. O'Connell" She panted "Just because you saved my life, it's no excuse for your behaviour earlier."

The men standing near the doorway locked their eyes upon Femi and the other three and suddenly drew their long, silver swords. The other passengers in the carriage who had been watching in shock let out gasps and screams and jumped up from their seats. They all ran past Femi and Alex, knocking them aside into other seats, and did the same to Jonathan and Carter.

"An 'excuse me' would have done perfectly you know!" Jonathan shouted out after he banged the back of his head against the arm of the chair.

"Give us de' Diamond Heart." One of the men ordered as he walked up the isle towards them.

Alex was the first up in his seat. As he got up and stood in the middle of the isle, as though preparing for a fight, his eyes secretly wandered around in search of the red bag. Femi sat up in her seat and hooked her fingers over the top of the chair before her, peering over them to watch the men. The bag was in the chair only two seats ahead. Glancing at the three men, she bit her lip nervously.

Could she get to it in time?

"Give id' 'do us!" The exotic voice snapped.

Alex clenched his fists by his sides "You'll have to go through me, first."

Femi glanced over at him nervously. Was he mad? Standing up to three men with swords?? Before she could do anything to prevent it from happening, the man charged at Alex with his sword held across the front of him. Alex ducked down just as he slashed his sword out and spun round to elbow him hard in the gut. He then rotated his arm so that his fist swung up and the back of his cracked into his nose. The man fell back down on the floor, unconscious, and Femi gaped with an open jaw.

It was more than clear that Alex could take care of himself.

"_Bloody hell_." Carter whispered in amazement.

The other two men looked up from their bloody partner and clenched their swords angrily. When they suddenly charged at him, both at the same time, Femi took the chance to scramble over the top of the chair in front of her and fall into the lap of the seat on her side. She heard a number of grunts and growls, followed by the clashing of swords, punches and thuds, but she didn't look round. She stood up on the chair and climbed over to the one in front where she landed on the seat next to the red bag. She didn't want to take any risks, and so she unzipped the bag and had a feel around for the box. She quickly brought it out and stuffed it down into the cleavage area inside her bra and did her cardigan up with shaking fingers. She cursed silently under her breath because she couldn't seem to do one of them up without failing once or twice, but once she had done the very last button, she sighed in success. The small square in between her breasts was hardly noticeably now.

A hand reached out and grabbed a scruff of hair on the top of her head and pulled her out into the isle. She fell down onto her knees with a growl and began slashing her fists out at the pair of legs that stood straight before her.

"Let me go! Let me _go_!" She yelled.

A sudden crack activated the release of Femi's hair and she pushed herself back on her knees to watch the man fall down onto the ground with a battered nose. Femi could tell by the sudden bruise on his forehead that the bone of his nose had gone too far up...

He was dead.

Femi clasped her hand over her mouth in disgust and was pulled up onto her feet by someone. She let out a wild yelp and spun round, elbowing them in the cheek. She heard a painful growl and a small curse, and she immediately knew it wasn't one of the bad guys.

"Jesus, it's me!" Alex yelled angrily.

Femi blinked at him a few times and then sighed "Oh... just you."

"_Just_??" Alex repeated impatiently.

Femi rolled her eyes at herself and smiled weakly "I was worried I'd hit someone else."

"Oh, lady, you've got some nerve." He grunted.

Alex narrowed his eyes and gave a sarcastic half-smile. He spun her round and pushed her forwards so that she had to step over the dead body. She didn't know where he was taking her, but she allowed him to take her anyhow. Carter looked over at Jonathan with a nervous, stunned expression on his face and they both stood up together. Jonathan, however, had a proud smug, smile across his face and tugged on the sides of his jacket.

"Damn right - bloody well taught them." He sniggered.

Carter raised an eyebrow and watched him weave in and out of the men, and slowly followed behind them. He nervously stepped over one of them, and as he though he had been as quiet and careful as possible, he almost leapt through the roof of the moving train when a hand grasped around his ankle. He quickly looked down to see that the man had awoken, and without thinking, he kicked him in the face as hard as he could and knocked him back out. Jonathan was now the one who looked stunned, and Carter smirked at Jonathan and strode past him.

"Indeed - _bloody_ well taught them." He mimicked him, although he had a reason to be sounding proud.

Jonathan glanced at the unconscious man once more before following, making sure to swipe up the red bag that sat open in Femi's seat. Femi was taken into the storage room with Alex, and Alex waited for the two buffoons to strut inside before shutting the door behind them. It was a very stuffy room, packed with all kinds of crates and bags. A couple of wooden cages hung from the ceiling with small birds inside, twittering away, and Femi noticed Jonathan eyeing a very interesting-looking safe back up against the wall.

Femi sighed heavily and sat herself down on a wooden crate "How did they follow us here without us knowing? Why won't they just leave us alone?"

Alex walked through the room and began calmly searching the room just in case there were any more 'stowaways' hiding "They'll never leave us alone. They'll chase us forever."

"Forever??" Carter whined and plomped himself down on the floor next to Femi.

"If that's what it takes" Alex replied, peering round behind a tall, rectangular crate "These men aren't easily discouraged. They won't give up on something they want."

"Tell me - who are these people exactly?" Femi asked curiously, eyeing Alex in suspicion as he wandered around the room.

"Jonathan can answer that one. Can't you unc?" He asked with a hint of amusement in his voice.

Jonathan sneered as though finding a memory rather discomforting "They're the descendents of Imhotep. A bloody nuisance, they are. You'd think they'd just accept the absence of their God, just like every other religious person, and do the normal things like pray and light candles and... meditate. But no, they've got to go around chasing the O'Connell family because they want their God to rise from the flipping dead" He huffed, and threw his hands up in the air "We're not the only family involved with Egyptology - and I'm not even interested in the stuff, and yet I get dragged into these ghastly situations when I could be perfectly happy at home; gambling, drinking and being seduced by beautiful women!"

"Amen." Carter scoffed in agreement.

Femi rolled her eyes at the two of them and looked over at Alex, who was now all the way at the other end of the carriage "Do you think there are any more following us, or just those ones that you beat?"

"Hard to say. But I guess we'll soon find out won't we." He replied, not in the most comforting of tones either.

Femi pouted her bottom lip out and subconsciously rubbed the sore spot upon the top of her head where the man had yanked on her hair. For some reason, these descendents seemed to like pulling her hair.

Femi looked around the room as a reflective, gloomy silence fell over everyone. Soon, the only thing that could be heard was the deafening sound of the train and the twittering bird hanging in its cage. What was going to happen next?... Femi's stomach let out a loud growl and she jumped in embarrassment. All three of the guys looked over at her with raised eyebrows, and Femi wrapped her arm across her stomach with a blush.

"Heh, heh... I guess I'm still hungry." She chuckled dryly.

"You seemed to be stuffing that sandwich down alright. So much so that you couldn't fit it down your throat and choked." Alex snickered in amusement and walked back into the same area of the carriage as Femi.

Femi gasped in offence and glared over at him "For your information, Mr. O'Connell, the reason for my choking was the sudden appearance of the men chasing us."

Alex snickered "Yeah right. Anything to protect your feminine reputation. I bet all of you women act just like us guys when we're not around."

Carter and Jonathan laughed at the idea "Burping and sniffing and eating till your stomachs grow big."

Femi narrowed her eyes in offence and laughed sarcastically "Yes, that's right! And then they just throw the food up to stop gaining any weight, and then cry their eyes out because of the stereotype that they're all given by shallow, provincial men who make them feel so unattractive and expect them all to be thin and elegant" She shot back at them angrily "Yes, exactly like you men."

They all fell silent in slight shock and guilt. They hadn't ever really thought about how seriously women were affected by small comments like that. But good old Femi always seemed to be there to remind people of the reality of jokes and sarcasm.

"Women" Carter bravely scoffed "So complicated."

Femi rolled her eyes "Not complicated - we just have emotions. It's only natural for us to react to people who accuse us of being unmannered... My stomach growling is only proof that I didn't 'stuff' my food down, or else I would be satisfied by now. I didn't even get one mouthful - I coughed it back up!"

"Which I saved you from, right before I saved you, yet again." Alex boasted.

Femi rolled her eyes "As I said, just because you saved my life, it's no excuse for the way you behaved earlier. If you hadn't done that, I wouldn't have left and moved myself to such a vulnerable spot in the first place."

Carter and Jonathan rolled their eyes and sniggered tiredly at the argument that they knew was beginning. Jonathan knew his nephew was stubborn, just as Carter knew his sister was. Two stubborn people could argue over the fact that the sky was orange, and neither would back down.

Femi heard their sniggers and snapped her eyes onto them "And you two, as well. Don't think I've granted you forgiveness, either."

They both froze and glanced at each other warily. Femi looked around at all three of them and shook her head in disapproval.

"I would never think to laugh at someone's discomfort. Especially not if they were frightened." She snapped.

"By a _dream_?" Alex asked sceptically, leaning against a crate with his arms folded.

Femi scrunched her brow and shook her head angrily "Ooooooh." She growled, and shot up.

She loosely wrapped her arms around her, like an insecure child, and wandered towards the back of the carriage "It wasn't just a dream. You men wouldn't understand what it's like to feel emotions like that."

Alex narrowed his eyes and turned to watch her go "Try us."

Femi came to a stop next to the bird cage and looked up at the little brown birds with a weak, subconscious smile. She stood in a delicate silence for a few seconds until Carter called her name curiously and brought her back into the moment. She looked past the birdcage at nothing in particular and frowned gently at the memory of her dream.

"I dreamt that I woke up in the compartment. The lights were off and it was dark out. You had all gone" She began "I opened the door to find you, but... I saw... I saw a corpse standing there. It spoke to me, and tried to grab me..." She paused and lowered her gaze to the floor "That's when I woke up."

Jonathan was the only one who had a look of suspicion on his face; the other two were just highly confused "Did it say anything?"

Alex and Carter looked over at Jonathan questionably, and he raised an eyebrow at them in return. Femi took a small breath in and slowly turned around to face them all. They watched her patiently and waited for her to reply.

"He said..." She paused and narrowed her eyes in thought "Keetah mi pharos, aja... nilo."

Jonathan's eyes widened, and at the same time as Femi, quoted "Come with me, my princess. It is time to make you mine, for all eternity."

Femi and Jonathan both reacted in a surprised and impressed manner, of the fact that they both knew what it meant. Alex looked back and forth from the two of them, as did Carter, with a very confused expression on his face. Carter finally decided to step in.

"Can someone please tell me what's going on here?? I feel like I'm in some kind of bloody ghost story." He snapped impatiently.

Jonathan slowly tore his eyes away from Femi and looked to Carter "Mate... so do I."

Alex's' brow creased in complete confusion "Wait, what're you talking about unc?"

Jonathan looked over at Femi and took a deep breath in "Your mum was confronted by the mummy of Imhotep when he rose. It was when he was trying to capture her to bring Anuk Su Namun back through her."

Alex shook his head and shrugged "So?"

"He spoke to her, too." He added.

Femi took a single step forwards "... What did he say?" She asked quietly - even though, deep down, something told her that she already knew the answer.

Jonathan shot her an expression of sympathy "Keetah mi pharos, aja nilo."

Femi's heart squeezed in alarm. Carter whistled lowly to express his shock and Alex stared at Femi as though she were one of the most challenging puzzles.

"How would you have dreamt that?" He asked.

Femi looked at him nervously and shook her head "I-I don't know..."

Alex narrowed his eyes and stepped towards her "You sure about that?"

Femi nodded vigorously and moved away from him "Of course! What... do you think I have some sort of telepathic power or something?" She laughed dryly.

Alex continued walking towards her "It's a good guess... along with about a million others."

"L-l-like what?" She stuttered nervously.

Carter stood up "Alex, lay off, mate. It's just a coincidence."

Only Femi knew that her dream, along with every other 'vision' that she had, wasn't a coincidence. That's why she had been so scared when she woke up... that's why she was afraid.

"I don't know anything about you" Alex snapped "All I know is that you and your brother have this Diamond Heart thing. You could be a spy for all I know."

"Spy?!" She gasped, and suddenly fall backwards over a small crate and landed on her bottom on the floor with her legs hanging over it "I'm not a spy!"

Carter was just about ready to step in and set Alex straight. Alex stopped in front of Femi and looked down at her with angry, narrowed eyes. Femi sat there, helplessly, and watched him with wide, nervous eyes. Alex could see that they were beginning to water. Femi really didn't know what to expect; she was so alarmed! Alex's face began to relax, to her relief... and he suddenly smirked.

"I know." He simply said.

Femi blinked rapidly and raised her eyebrows "You know?..."

He turned away from her and walked across the room to the door "I know you're not a spy. Relax already."

Femi watched him walk towards the door in complete shock. Carter was at her side in an instant and helped her get to her feet. She brushed herself down and quickly walked a few steps behind Alex.

"You mean to tell me that you knew all along, and yet you still treated me like you were about to murder me anyway?!" She whaled.

Alex turned round to look at her just as he opened the door "Yep."

He smiled with pure amusement and stepped into the empty compartment. He turned to face them fully and smiled even more at the look on Femi's face. She looked like she was either about to scream with rage or burn into flames from embarrassment. He couldn't help adoring how cute she looked when she was angry. Of course, that perspective completely changed as he saw Femi pick up the nearest object - which was a small camera which she plucked from its long legs - and moved it up above her head. His expression wiped off right away and he pulled the door shut to protect himself; he heard the thundering crash of the camera against the other side of the door, followed by the screaming insults from Femi that seemed to be only understandable by someone capable of the Queen's vocabulary.

Alex stepped away from the door and shook his head "What a woman."

With that, he turned around and started walking back up the isle, leaving a fuming Femi, a tired Carter and highly entertained Jonathan to hideout in the storage room together whilst he dealt with the unconscious bodies that were scattered upon the ground...

Or at least, were.

Alex came to an abrupt halt and furrowed his eyebrows in confusion "Shit..."

There was only one body on the floor; the dead one.


	15. The Battle Pt 1

The luggage room rattled with the rhythm of the train and loud whispers shot past the walls on the outside from the large trees whizzing by. Femi glanced angrily over at the exit door that led back into the compartment and huffed. She folded her arms stubbornly and looked away in a sulk.

"With all do respect, Jonathan, your nephew is a complete pig." Femi snapped.

Jonathan snickered "Funny, that - that's the same thing my sister said about Rick. And then she went and married him."

Femi scrunched up her nose "Evelyn is a decent woman. Rick can't be anything like his son, or else she wouldn't have fallen in love with him."

She tucked a curl behind her ear and looked down at her lap. Her eyes fell upon the corner of a square that was sticking out of her chest, and she blinked in her remembrance. She undid her cardigan and slipped her fingers down the front of her top to pull out the box. She felt slightly disturbed when a gaping Jonathan caught her eye afterwards. She rolled her eyes and held the box up to him, and she could have sworn that she heard him 'tsk' in disappointment.

"Where is the red bag?" She asked Carter.

Carter raised an eyebrow "Whatta' you mean, where is it?"

Femi looked over at him and dropped her hands into her lap "I _mean_, Carter, where is it?? That's usually what people mean when they ask where something is!"

Carter held his hands out and shook his head "Well I dunno' where it is! I thought you had it!"

Femi and Carter paused for a moment and, in unison, slowly turned their heads and laid their eyes on Jonathan. He wasn't even watching them. Quite casually, and perhaps _too_ casually, he was looking around the room as though fascinated by what was stored in it. Carter crossed his arms across his chest and Femi raised a knowing eyebrow.

"Jonathan." She called him.

"Oh, look - a gramophone!" Jonathan announced and looked over at them with a smile "What a funny thing to travel with, hey?"

Carter rolled his eyes and walked over to Jonathan "Come on, Johnny boy, we know you've got it."

Carter extended his hand down to Jonathan's level, and Jonathan stared at it happily. He looked up at Carter and raised his eyebrows.

"Have what, Carter old chap? Buddy?" He tried to butter him up.

Femi rolled her eyes "We need the red bag, now."

Jonathan looked over at her and narrowed his eyes "You're the devil's spawn, aren't you, Femi."

Femi shook her head at him like a mother would her child when they did something daft. Jonathan kept his sour eyes locked on Femi as he slipped his hand down behind him and pulled the red bag out. He slapped it into Carter's hand and folded his arms across his chest like a sulking child. It was only when Carter began walking over to Femi with it that he realised being sulky wouldn't get him anywhere, so he smiled hopefully.

"Can't I just have one collection of the bills?" He asked sweetly.

"_No_." They both snapped at the same time.

Carter stopped in front of Femi and opened the bag out for her to drop it in. She held her hand above it and went to let go, when a small thud came from the roof. They all froze and looked up at the dark-brown ceiling curiously. What was it? All of a sudden, a loud crack let in a large amount of light from a square in the roof near the back of the room, and Femi shot to her feet with Jonathan. She gasped in fear as she watched the two men in black that Alex had knocked on conscious jump down into the room, not only landing perfectly and holding their swords once more, but being followed by three more!

"Get Alex." Femi breathed out to Carter.

The door suddenly burst open behind them and Alex ran in "We've gotta' get out of he"-

He froze once he spotted the men on the other side of the room and rolled his eyes. Femi slowly curled her fist around the small box within her hand and moved it behind her back so they wouldn't see. The men moved through the room towards Femi and the others and she slowly backed away behind Alex.

"We asked you nicely de' first time... But you continue to refuse to give in. Whad' will it take for you to hand over whad' is rightfully 'arz?" The man at the front asked in a gruff voice.

"Hey, pal, we dunno' what you're talking about." Carter lied.

The man snickered and held his sword out at him "You... are a terrible liar" He told him "_Lassuark_!!" He suddenly shouted.

At once, all four men behind him let out battle yells and leapt over all of the luggage to attack them. Femi squealed in fright and ran over to the side of the room, as did Jonathan in the opposite direction, leaving Carter and Alex in the center. The men separated so that one when to Femi, one to Jonathan, and two to Alex and Carter. There was one for each of them.

When Jonathan noticed one of the men coming for him, he jumped and quickly ran round behind a large rectangular crate. He hid behind it and peered to the right; the silver blade of a sword came slashing out towards him and he jerked back so that it smacked into the wooden crate instead. HE leapt over to the left side of the crate, only to be met with the face of the black-masked man. He jumped again and dodged to the other side once more, but the man followed him. This game of chase continue for a few more seconds until Jonathan froze, looked at the crate, and rolled his eyes at himself. He pushed the crate with all of his might and it fell over onto the man so that he was pinned to the floor and left swinging his sword out on the side.

"Remember this name - Jonathan O'Connell. That's right, Jonathan O -- WAGH!" Jonathan had suddenly been knocked into by Carter, and fell down onto the floor on his side where his nose was just inches away from the swinging sword of the man he had just pushed the crate onto.

Carter ran over the crate so that he squished the man underneath it even more and landed easily on the floor on the other side. He ran to the back of the room in a style so inelegant that it was sheer luck he hadn't fallen over once. He came to the very back of the room and made a groan of disgust at the back door which led to the _very_ end of the train; outside. He spun round and quickly ducked from the sword that swung at his head. The man growled and pulled back his sword, but, to his dismay, found that it was stuck into the wood. Whilst he tugged over and over on his sword to remove it from the wooden wall, Carter sneakily pulled the latch from across the door so that it would open easily. The man finally wrenched his sword from the wall and stepped back to re-attack Carter. Carter rose to his feet and held his hands out nervously.

"I-I don't believe in violence! It goes against my religion!" He cried.

The man snickered "And hwat' religion would dat' be?"

Carter licked his lips nervously "Er... a -- Muslim! Yes!!" He shouted in relief "Yes, I'm a Muslim!"

The man sneered at Carter and shook his head. He went to strike him with his sword when Carter shot his arm out and pointed behind him.

"Bloody hell, it's Imhotep!!" He cried in false fear.

The man froze and spun round "'Hwatt??"

Carter pushed down on the handle of the back door so that it was on the latch. The man realised he had been fooled and turned around with even more anger boiling in his ice-blue eyes.

"Now, you shall rot in hell with de' devil for mocking my Lord." He snarled.

Carter spun out of the way of the man's attack and moved round behind him; the man was still facing the door "Hey!"

The man spun round to face him and he raised his eyebrows "Say hi to him for me, eh?"

He then leant back and kicked his foot into the man's chest. He was thrown back into the door, which flew open, and he fell out onto the track with a terribly feminine scream. There was no doubt that he was dead.

Alex was right in the middle of having to dodge every swing of his opponent's sword when the fifth man-in-black joined in. He had witnessed this man's strength before and knew it was going to take more than one man to bring him down. The man skipped round behind him and swung his sword out. Alex ducked down so that both swords clashed together, and he then moved round behind his first opponent and pushed him into the second one. They both tumbled down onto the floor together and Alex waited patiently for them to stand up.

"Is that all you've got?" He asked bravely.

"You'll be wise to keep your mouth shut!" One of them growled as they scrambled to their feet again to attack Alex once more.

Meanwhile, on the left side of the room, Femi was crouched down behind what she soon discovered to be a grand wardrobe with draws at the bottom. It was covered in a white dust sheet, and it was the only thing hiding her from the man that was now searching for her. She couldn't understand where the others were; why weren't they helping her?! She was gripping the red box so tightly that it was beginning to hurt her skin. She knew she had to put it in a safe place. She opened the very bottom draw in the cupboard to place it inside, but found something both a lot more shocking - and helpful.

"Dynamite." She whispered in complete shock.

These men had planned this all along! This was their dynamite!!

The man trying to get to Femi suddenly jumped round into view and laughed deeply at her. Femi screamed and crawled away from him.

"**Alex**!!" She yelled.

Alex was just ducking another blow of a sword when he heard her "A little busy right now!"

The man towering over Femi slashed his sword down and she parted her legs with a scream so that it sliced through her black skirt and dug into the floor, rather than her flesh. Femi swallowed and looked up at him with wide eyes. She had to be quicker, or she'd lose a limb in no time. The man brought his sword up from the ground again and held it high above his head. His eyes wandered to Femi's left hand and he saw the red corner of the box poking out in between her fingers.

"De' Diamond Heart..." He dreamily said aloud.

Femi took his moment of awe to kick her legs up and smash them into his private area. He squealed in agony, bringing his knees together, and dropped his sword to the ground. Femi scrambled up onto her feet and ran over him like a bridge - squashing his face to the ground - and quickly snatched up three sticks of Dynamite from the drawer. She slipped the red box down her cleavage once more and carefully made her way around the room so that she wouldn't be noticed. She ran out from behind a stack of crates, eyeing Alex and his attackers warily, and reached the door. She opened it and looked down at the track dashing past beneath her.

"Right." She grunted.

Whilst Femi lowered down and stuck the Dynamite securely into the chains that attached the luggage compartment to the rest of the train, Carter watched from the other side of the room. He jumped up onto a crate and looked across; he saw past her and caught a glimpse of the end of a stick.

"Jesus Christ - she's mad...!" He breathed out.

He looked around for Jonathan, and once he found him, set off on a mission to get to him. He leapt over the still waving arm that was sticking out from underneath a crate and crouched down next to him in his hiding spot.

"Femi's gonna' blow up the connection of the carriage. We've got to get out of here." He told him.

Jonathan's eyes widened "What??"

Carter grabbed the scruff of his neck and brought him up with him "Run!"

With that, Jonathan yelped and ran along next to Carter towards Femi. Femi, however, was now standing up and had just stepped over into the next carriage. She looked round the room desperately for some kind of fire-starter... Browsing down the isle, she looked at each table desperately. There, sitting on the table, was a lady's handbag that had been left behind and forgotten in the sudden fear that had been brought upon them when Alex began fighting the men off earlier. She nibbled on her bottom lip in hope and unclipped the leather strap to search through it.

Her heart leapt with joy at the sight of the white cigarette box, and its partner of matches.

She took it out with shaking hands and turned to walk back over to the doorway. She looked up to see Carter run through, straight towards her, with Jonathan right behind him. As happy as she was to see them both uninjured, she walked straight past him nonetheless.

"Femi, what're you"-

"Step aside, Carter, I haven't got time." She interrupted him.

He stood panting with Jonathan and watched her walk to the door in utter disbelief. Was that really his little sister?? She reached the doorway and took out two matches, bringing them together as one large stick.

"Alex! I suggest you dispose of your friends - today!" She shouted.

"You know" Alex shouted back and paused to punch one of them in the face "I would love to, but they seem to have other plans!"

"Well I do, too, and so does this carriage!" She shouted without giving away too much information.

Alex managed to sneak a look over his shoulder and she held up the matches for a split second before the other men looked over. Alex smirked at their loss of attention and quickly knocked their heads together so that the spell of vertigo was cast upon them and they wobbled about aimlessly for a few seconds. A few seconds that allowed Alex to get away. He ran to the door and Femi stepped aside to let him pass. He eyes the Dynamite excitedly as he leapt across to the other doorway and turned to face Femi with an attractive smile.

"Now that's more like it." He said.

Femi tore her eyes away from his handsome face, which was just inches from hers, and looked across at the other men. The man underneath the crate had now managed to slip out from underneath it and was climbing to his feet, along with the man whom Femi had kicked in the groin who had crawled out from behind the wardrobe. The wind from the outside flew into both carriages, taking Femi's hair on an elegant trip, and she stared at the men with cold, sour eyes.

"Just leave us alone." She whispered.

She turned her side to face the door and scraped the red ends of the matches along the side of the box, and they fizzed into life. She dropped the box and curved her free hand around the front of them to protect them from the wind, and then lowered down to the ground. She held the matched out to the white end of the Dynamite to light it -- but the wind blew them out.

"Bugger." She hissed and threw them away.

Alex looked up from her and over at the men. They were regaining their stability and collecting their weapons to try the attack again. They didn't have much time.

"Femi..." He warned her.

"I know!" She snapped irritably.

She looked around her for the match box and snatched it up once she had found it. She quickly took out three more matches and held them together. She scraped them along the side of the box and quickly held them down to light the rope -- but they went out again!

Femi threw the matches away "For god sakes, just light!"

Alex rolled his eyes and leant down, pushing Femi aside "Give it here."

Femi handed him the matchbox and he took out three matches. He scratched it against the box in the exact same way as Femi and threw them down to the Dynamite; they snuffed out before they could hit the string. Femi scoffed angrily and shook her head.

"What makes you think anything different will happen just because it's you doing it? You're not God you know!" She shouted impatiently.

Femi reached out and yanked the Dynamite from the chains. She sat round on her bottom with her back to the door and looked to Alex.

"Light them." She ordered.

He hesitated. Femi rolled her eyes.

"Light them, Alex!" She yelled.

Alex did as she said and sparked up a new collection of matches. Jonathan and Carter suddenly realised what he was doing and they both jumped back in alarm.

"Woah, woah, woah!" Carter exclaimed.

"D'you wanna' turn us all into bloody shish-kebab?? Yeah, just roast us all for the hungry Imhotep when they bring him back, I'm sure he'll like that!" Jonathan cried, waving his hand out.

Alex held the small flame to the rope of the Dynamite and it set alight with a sizzling sparkle. He quickly snatched it from Femi and turned around onto his stomach and reached down to stuff it back into the chain.

"Alex!" Femi cried.

He looked up to see one of the men holding his sword above him, read to strike. Alex was forced to jerk away with the Dynamite and the man leapt into the same carriage as them...


	16. The Battle Pt 2

"Get it out, get it out!!" Jonathan yelled.

Alex threw the Dynamite to Femi and she squealed in fright. She went to throw it back to him but was pushed out of the way by the man who had invaded their plan; he was now fighting Alex. Femi sat up and tossed the Dynamite to Carter, who quivered loudly and passed it to Jonathan. Jonathan flicked it back to him, and Carter just handed it right back to him.

"Stop bloody giving it to me!" Carter shouted.

"I will when you stop giving it to me!!" Jonathan exclaimed in reply.

"Give it to _me_!" Alex snapped and suddenly snatched the Dynamite from him.

He grabbed the neck-lining of the robe that the man was wearing and stuffed the Dynamite down the top of it. The man screamed and dropped his sword so he could desperately try to take it out. However, Alex had other plans. He grabbed him by the shoulders and rammed him back towards the door, and pushed him straight out the door so that he landed on the chained connection.

Alex smiled down at him and gave a tiny salute, "Thanks."

The man looked up from his chest and at Alex with a look of defeat and fear in his eyes. Alex slammed the door shut and wrapped his arms over Femi to bring her down to the ground for protection just as a thundering **boom** pounded against the door and blew it from its hinges so that it flew down the isle of the carriage, straight over the heads of Carter and Jonathan, followed by an arm of roaring, yellow fire.

Femi tensed up under Alex's arms and whimpered into the ground at the feel of the flames licking at the back of her body. It was over in a second, and the sound of bits of wood and the feel of feather-light bits of ash landing on her legs announced that it was safe to get up. Femi turned her head and found her nose nearly touching Alex's. His eyes looked so different up close. They were so much more colourful. She could see the specks of brown and the mysterious grey floating around their green appearances. They were so bold.

Femi cleared her throat shyly and Alex remained watching her with his arms around her. She looked down from his eyes and at the open buttons of his shirt that allowed her to see the top of his chest, which really didn't help her blush at all.

"My bloody _god_!" Jonathan cried out breathlessly, "**_Wow_**!!"

Femi and Alex both smiled lightly at the sound of his dramatic voice and Alex slowly slid his arms away from Femi's body. They both slowly sat up on their knees and Femi looked straight ahead and out of the huge hole that had been blown into the end of the carriage. The edges of it were still sizzling red, and black smears spread out to the other walls. The wind was blowing into the carriage and would have been chilly if it wasn't for the heat of the walls, which transformed it into a warm temperature. Femi saw the other carriage in the distance as a black speck sitting on the tracks. She smiled lightly.

"Did I really say that you couldn't be bad if you tried?" Alex asked whilst staring out at the horizon with her.

Femi smirked lightly and looked over at him with a cockily raised eyebrow, "Having seconds thoughts?"

Alex smirked back at her, "Maybe."

"What... is... _wrong with you people_??" Jonathan heaved loudly.

Femi and Alex climbed up onto their feet and looked around to see him leaning back against a chair, looking very shaken. Femi pulled her lips in and glanced over at Alex with amusement.

"I don't know about you, but I would very much like to stay raw!" He groaned.

"Well, you are." Alex said.

Carter poked his head up from behind a nearby chair that was as black as charcoal and looked around nervously. He looked just like Jonathan; scruffy up hair, as pale as a ghost and glistening eyes. He looked as though he had just died and come back to life again.

Femi took out the red box from down her top and held it up in her hand, "And we still have this."

At seeing this, Carter and Alex smiled. Femi bit her bottom lip happily and looked back and forth from the three of them. Alex looked back at the huge hole in the carriage and narrowed his eyes sorely.

"We should get back to our compartment. The guards are going to be down here soon." He announced.

Femi stopped biting her lip and her eyes were drained of joy. She looked round at the huge hole and sighed heavily.

"Now I feel guilty." She muttered.

Alex glanced at her and smirked, shaking his head, "Second thoughts? Nah."

Femi snapped her eyes onto him and narrowed them in annoyance. He winked teasingly and walked past her to head back up the train to their compartment. Femi turned to watch him and tilted her head to the side in thought. She just couldn't understand him. One minute he was a pig, then he was a gentleman, and then... he just went back to being a pig again, the next. And men thought women were complicated! Pah!

Femi shook her head with a sigh and clenched her fist around the red box again. She stepped over a chunk of smoking, black wood and began to follow Alex up the isle. Carter slipped out from the seat and stood up to trail behind, leaving Jonathan left. But he didn't move.

"Oh no..." Everyone heard him wheeze.

They all stopped walking and looked round at him. Alex raised an eyebrow and eyed him warily.

"Unc?" He called him.

Jonathan jumped and turned around to face them all with a look of new worry across his pale face, "Huh- what??"

Femi raised an eyebrow and exchanged glanced with her brother. What had gotten into him? Jonathan swallowed and started looking around at the floor in a slight panic. Something was wrong.

"What is it?" Femi asked.

Jonathan shook his head nervously and began patting his hands all over his body, "Oh... no, no, no, no, no, no...!"

Alex stepped past Femi, "What _is_ it??" He asked impatiently.

Jonathan stopped searching and looked over at them all with hopelessness and guilt, "The money bag..."

Femi lowered her eyebrows and Alex stepped towards him, "Uncle... if I've ever told you something more seriously then it's now: if you've lost that money, I really am going to kill you."

Jonathan tensed his lips into a small circle and blinked innocently a few times. Everyone stood in an anxious silence, the wind blowing through the hole in the end of the carriage, ash fluttering about like snow, and the sound of the tracks booming all around them.

Jonathan slipped his hand into the inside of his jacket pocket and his eyes went cold and stiff. Femi felt her heart sink to the pit of her stomach. He had obviously lost the money.

"Haha!" Jonathan laughed and suddenly whipped out the red bag, "You should've _seen_ the look on your faces!"

Everyone rolled their eyes and sighed deeply in relief. Alex marched over to his uncle and, after snatching the bag up from his hand, gave him a cold-hard punch to the face. Femi gasped with a flinch and watched him wobble about dizzily until Alex wrapped his arm over his shoulder to hold him up.

"You force me to do those things, you know..." Alex grunted to him.

Jonathan smiled goofily with his eyes flickering all over the place, "Tally-ho, Alex..."

Carter let out a soft chuckle and shook his head, "Bloody critter."

Femi didn't look amused in the slightest. She had just felt so scared. She really had believed him. That the money was gone. That there was no way to get to Hamunaptra.

No way to save their father.

Femi huffed loudly and shook her head, "That wasn't funny in the slightest, Jonathan."

Jonathan smiled goofily and looked around dozily. Femi blinked and an expression of awkwardness came across her face.

"Whether you can hear me or not, I'm disappointed." She finished.

Alex rolled his eyes and turned with Jonathan, "Alright - save us the paternal scolding."

Femi glared angrily at Alex and watched him limp past her with Jonathan staggering along beside him. Carter caught her eye and he tried to give her a reassuring smile, but Femi just stared coldly back at him. Nothing was going to change her feelings towards the 'practical joke' that Jonathan just pulled. It _wasn't_ funny.

Femi tore her eyes away from her brother and released a depressed sigh. His smile faded and he watched her walk up the isle, carefully stepping over bits of charcoal wood. Was Femi really that upset? Carter was beginning to feel concerned and guilty when Femi stopped walking. She leant down and picked something up from a chair, and leant back to reveal her unfinished sandwich. Carter, seeing this, couldn't help but smile again. If Femi was well enough to think about food, he knew that she wasn't as upset as he thought.

Femi kept her head high all the way back to their first class carriage, despite the way people were looking at her as she passed. Perhaps it was because Jonathan looked as though he had just crawled out of a bonfire... Meh, perhaps. But nonetheless, Femi felt highly uncomfortable under the dark gazes of the other passengers. Alex was the first person to enter their compartment, and Jonathan followed behind him immediately. Femi stopped before the doorway and drew her attention onto the wide window on her right. She stepped over to it and stared out at the tracks running along side them, as though more of those men in black were going to rush up into view.

"Feeling homesick, old mum?" Carter asked from behind.

She looked round at Carter in the doorway and smiled weakly, "No, I was just..." She paused and sighed, "Never mind."

She waved her free hand for Carter to move along and he stepped into the compartment. Femi was about to walk over the threshold when someone cleared their throat loudly from her right. She jumped and spun round, blocking the view through the doorway, to find a number of guards standing there inspecting her. Femi was sure that she blanched, but she was more embarrassed of how poorly for it to be obvious under the nervous blush that had appeared on her cheeks.

"I hope you don't mind me asking, Miss," The middle guard asked, "But where were you approximately ten minutes ago?"

Femi blinked rapidly and wondered what the boys were doing behind her at the back of her mind. She cleared her throat and pushed a sweet smile across her lips.

"Why, officer, you act as though I'm a suspect for some sort of crime." She chuckled charmingly.

The guard didn't even relax. He held a firm posture and a stiff expression, which only made Femi feel all the more vulnerable. But her smile didn't falter. The guard cleared his throat to let her know that he was still waiting for an answer, and she rolled her eyes.

"I went to catch up with the food cart," She said and held her half-eaten sandwich out, "I caught it."

The man raised a sneaky eyebrow and looked her up and down, "What happened to your skirt, then?"

Femi blinked and looked down at herself. Her skirt had a long cut in it from where it had been sliced with her attacker's sword. Crud. She really was a little stuck on that one. She remained staring down at her skirt with nervous eyes until she found an excuse to slip out of their suspicious sight. She looked up at the guard with narrowed eyes and lifted her nose into the air slightly.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

The guard blinked and shifted his feet, "Well... uh... it has a large rip in it, doesn't it."

Femi raised her eyebrows, "And your point is?"

The man cleared his throat and glanced at his partners either side of him, "I just... I"-

"What are you implying, sir? That you think my skirt is ugly??" Femi snapped.

The guard shook his head once and held his hand up, "No, no. I believe you haven't understood me correctly"-

"So I am to be taken as a fool, too, now am I?" Femi gasped.

The officer was clearly embarrassed and didn't know how to react. Femi looked him up and down with disgrace and shook her head.

"Unless you wish for me to report your impertinent attitude, sir, I suggest you stay well away from my compartment!" She spat, and stepped backwards into the room to slide the door shut, and immediately draw the curtains so that they couldn't see in.

Femi sighed heavily and turned around to glare at the three boys who were now smirking at her with pure amusement. Femi shook her head in annoyance and walked back towards her seat. Alex had his feet up on the seat opposite so that she couldn't get through. She glared over at him.

"_Excuse_ me." She sighed.

He raised his eyebrows suggestively and moved his feet down for her to pass, "Of course."

Femi eyed him warily and sat back down in her seat next to the window. She glared at him for a moment, and then looked out of the window with a stubborn little sigh. Alex remained watching her from the opposite side with an odd smirk.

"That was smashing, Femi." Jonathan laughed.

"Genius." Carter added.

Femi rolled her eyes, "Yes, and no thanks to you three either. All you ever do is cause trouble, trouble and _more_ trouble."

Alex leant forwards, "Now, now, there's no need to get angry. That guard didn't mean to offend you" He teased "Besides... I think that skirt does everything that's the opposite to make you look 'ugly'."

Femi blushed a crimson red and her eyes widened slightly. But she refused to look at him, and he soon retreated to his seat with a playful chuckle. Oh, how she was going to get him back for his childish behaviour, sooner or later.


	17. Welcome To Leeds

It was probably around nine o'clock at night now. The train was still moving at a reasonable speed and creating a hypnotic melody from its engines and the tracks. The room was alight with the gentle, eerie glow from the lights on the walls and the curtains were still drawn across the door, preventing anyone from looking in.

Carter snorted quietly and shifted in his seat, catching the attention of the only awake person in the room. Femi. She moved her eyes over onto him and smiled weakly at the sight of his sleeping face. He always looked so sweet when asleep. Femi took a small breath in and looked around the room at Jonathan and Alex as though to check up on them. They had all been asleep for the past three hours now, ever since they had returned to the compartment earlier. Femi hadn't expected the journey to Leeds to take so long, but she assumed that the large explosion caused the delay. She had noticed a decrease in the speed not a couple of hours back.

She released a quite sigh and looked back out the window at the small dots of light that shone out in the distance from the City area, away from the countryside that they were now riding through. Femi had no idea where they were, but the guards had knocked on her door earlier to inform her that they would be arriving in Leeds at around half past nine. So Femi didn't have much time before she had to bring her pleasant alone time to an end and wake the boys up. Femi, out of pure boredom, looked at her reflection in the window and stared into her own eyes. She could see her mother in them. Smiling softly, she closed her eyes and leant the side of her head against the window once more.

_Femi was seven years old in this memory. She was sitting on the seat of a taxi with her mother on her right. They were on their way to pick Femi a dress to wear for her birthday. Carter was spending the day with his dad at work whilst her mother took her shopping. Femi was so excited. She hadn't stopped smiling since the moment her mother announced the arrangement. _

_Femi looked out of the window at the passing City and beamed out at the passer-by's who weren't even looking her way. Femi leant so far over to the window that her nose touched against the cold glass and her breath steamed a blurry circle onto it. She blinked and leant away to observe it with amusement. An idea struck her mind. She parted her lips and breathed out some more hot breath onto the glass so that it fogged up a larger circle. Femi then drew a small heart on it with her finger and giggled softly. She leant back in her seat and tapped her mother on the arm, who looked down at her with a warm smile. _

_"Yes, my darling?" She asked. _

_Femi pointed to the window "Look what I drew for you, mummy." _

_Her mother looked over at the window and spotted the transparent heart shape. She smiled affectionately and kissed the back of Femi's hand. _

_"It's beautiful, angel. Thank you." She chuckled. _

_Femi giggled proudly and tucked a small curl behind her ear. Her mother let go of her hand and sat in silence with Femi for a few more minutes. Femi just couldn't stop thinking about trying on all of the beautiful dresses with her mother. It was her idea of the best day ever! Femi then felt her mother tap her on the shoulder and she looked up curiously. Her mother was smiling happily and pointed at her window. Femi looked and spotted an identical heart that she had drawn in her own breath. Femi gasped and smiled up at her mother in awe. _

_"It's a heart, just like mine!" She announced. _

_Her mother smiled and poked her nose "It's my heart and your heart." _

_Femi giggled and hugged her mother's arm "Love you, mummy." _

_"I love you too, angel." Her mother replied and started stroking Femi's hair.  
_  
Femi inhaled a slow, soft breath through her nose and opened her eyes. She was met with her reflection once more, and she weight of a heavy heart. She leant away from the window and looked down at her lap with a false smile across her lips. Nothing was wrong... so why was she feeling down?

"I thought I told you your skirt doesn't make you look ugly." Alex suddenly spoke out.

Femi blinked and snapped her eyes onto him. How long had he been awake?? He rolled his eyes at her reaction and sat up comfortably in his seat to rub his messy head with a light yawn. Femi looked away from him and back out of the window.

"We should be arriving in Leeds in half an hour. I was going to wake you - but you beat me to it." She informed him.

Alex nodded and looked out the window "It's taken a while, hasn't it now."

Femi nodded "I assume it's because of the explosion earlier. Whilst you three were sleeping, I felt the train slow down."

Alex looked around at Jonathan and Carter and smirked at their laziness. He leant forwards to his uncle and patted him on the cheek. He merely scoffed in his sleep and turned his head the other way. Femi raised an eyebrow and watched the two of them out of the corner of her eye. Alex shook his head at his uncle and leant back in his seat.

"He can sleep through anything, that lazy dog." He joked.

Femi snapped her eyes back onto the window as though she wasn't taking any notice "He's hardly had much sleep."

Alex shook his head "That's not the point. He'd sleep forever if he could, and then he still wouldn't have had enough. Trust me."

Femi raised her eyebrows tiredly "Alright."

Alex watched her from afar for a few seconds in silence. Femi could feel his gaze upon her and eventually couldn't ignore it anymore. She looked over at him and raised her eyebrows expectantly.

"Why are you staring at me?" She asked.

Alex pouted his bottom lip out cluelessly and shook his head "I wasn't."

Femi rolled her eyes and looked away again "Oh, fine."

He was just being so childish. Femi couldn't be bothered with it all.

Alex put his feet back up on the seat next to Jonathan and folded his arms across his chest so he could relax "If I can say so, lady" He sighed "I think you need to smile a little more."

Femi blinked in offence "Excuse me?"

He smiled childishly "See? Like this."

Femi shook her head "I know what a smile is, Mr. O'Connell, I just..." She trailed off and stared out the window in a negative thought "I smile when I have reason to. Isn't that how it works?" She rhetorically snapped.

Alex's cocky smile faltered and he tilted his head to the side in observing her. She really was a huge mystery to him, no matter how snappy and impatient she came off as. Jonathan snarled in his sleep again and, this time, caught the attention of both Femi and Alex. Alex took his feet down from the seat and leant towards to him once more and stared at him curiously. He waited a second before planting a sudden cold, hard slap across Jonathan's face, making Femi jump. Alex quickly leant back in his seat before Jonathan could open his eyes - which was very quickly. Jonathan literally shot up straight with his hands out in front of him and looked left and right in a strong panic.

"I didn't take it, I swear!" He cried.

Femi tsk'd "Bully."

Alex chuckled under his breath and watched his uncle from where he was. However, Femi felt differently and rolled her eyes in disapproval. She couldn't understand with Alex had to always punch and slap his uncle... no matter how amusing it was, sometimes. Jonathan took a deep breath in and then released it as he relaxed back in his seat.

He nodded at Femi and Alex and licked his dry lips "Are we there?"

Alex shook his head "Another thirty minutes."

Jonathan huffed "I always wake up too early."

Alex smirked at this comment and looked out the window at the darkness. Jonathan shrugged innocently to himself and subconsciously scratched his cheek as though it was itching. But really, it was in fact rather sore. Femi crossed her legs comfortably and sat her hands in her lap. Jonathan stood up and stretched his hands high in the air.

"Well" He yawned, bringing them back down "Excuse me ladies and gentlemen. Nature calls."

He walked over to the door and slid it open to step outside. He smiled cheesily at Femi in the window before closing it shut and disappearing from sight. Alex folded his hands behind his head and looked up at the cream ceiling.

"So. What's your story then?" Alex asked Femi.

Femi raised a sceptical eyebrow and looked over at him "My story?"

He looked at her and nodded "Your life. Your past. You know enough about mine."

Femi smiled weakly "Mr. O'Connell, all I know is that you are the son of two people whom my father was very close to. I don't know if that's 'enough' at all."

Alex smirked "You know that we're all interested and involved with Egypt. You know that I work in a bar, and that I like cats."

Femi snickered sarcastically "Oh really."

Alex removed his hands from behind his head and leant forward again. He was slowly seeing the relaxed side to Femi that he had been waiting for.

"You know that I was once almost killed thanks to a stupid curse by the Scorpion King, and you also know that I have excellent skills in driving." He boasted.

Femi laughed softly and looked over at him "Mr. O'Connell, did you see the state of the car that we had to drive to the station in this morning?"

Alex nodded "I did. And I thought it was damn beautiful."

Femi shook her head "I beg to differ."

Alex ran his fingers through his hair "Let me ask you something... if your father was safe - if he hadn't have been kidnapped... would you still be going off to Egypt like this?"

Femi was slightly taken back by his question. She didn't really expect him to say something like that. But nonetheless, she was going to answer it. Unlike Alex, she had manners.

"Well, I... if my father was safe, then I wouldn't be having to go off on a dangerous journey, would I. My father would deliver it to somewhere safe, or he himself would set out to return it to its rightful place." Femi smartly answered.

"You wouldn't want to go with him?" He asked.

Femi shook her head softly "I don't..."- She paused and narrowed her eyes "Mr. O'Connell, why are you asking me these questions all of a sudden?"

He shrugged "Hey, I'm just trying to make conversation, lady. If we're going to be on a trip this long together, I figured we could at least be civil. But if you want to be that way..."

Femi rolled her eyes "Oh, stop your whining Mr. O'Connell, I'm sure you've had worse than rejection of 'conversation'."

Alex scowled at her fiery tongue and looked away from her. In all honesty, he wasn't trying to just make conversation. He was trying to suss her out. Although it was more than obvious that she really was an innocent being chased because of the love for her father, Alex wasn't a very trusting person. He wanted to try and know a bit more about her. But he had soon come to realise that she would be harder to crack than he had assumed. Alex found women like Femi to be rather annoying. He always liked to know how to work people in case he would have to. But Femi was just too... too hard.

"Yes." Femi suddenly said.

Alex blinked and slowly looked back round at her. She was still looking out of the window with an emotionless, yet dreamy, expression across her face.

"I think I would have gone along with my father, if he was safe..." She softly spoke "To be with him, and spend time with him, and to appreciate that he could share his life with my brother and I. So yes, I, and my brother, would have gone."

That was what Alex wanted. That was what clarified with him that, deep down, no matter what walls she put up or how snappy she acted, she really was a human. She could relax and could open up. Telling Alex that what she just had wasn't a great importance, but it still meant that she was, to him... alright. An alright girl - no matter how much worse she might have been than his mother. A genuine, interested smile tweaked in the corner of Alex's lips as he continued to watch her secretly. Maybe there was more to Femi after all.

The door suddenly slid open and cut through the warm, reflective silence like a knife to melted butter. Femi and Alex cocked their heads round to see who it was, and found it to be Jonathan. He looked rather annoyed, and when he entered the room, he slid the door across with such a force that it slammed quite loudly and awoke Carter from his sleep. He snorted loudly and lifted his heavy eyelids with an exhausted moan.

"Pancakes, yup..." He wheezed, rubbing his eyes.

Femi found it all rather amusing and couldn't help but smile. Her eyes coincidentally met with those of Alex's and she quickly looked away. Alex, however, smiled to himself. She had a nice smile. Wait -- what the heck was he thinking?! No way, scrub it, trash it, burn it away. He never thought that. Never.

"The bloody cubicles are out of use" Jonathan groaned and slouched down in his seat "We're arriving at Leeds in no more than five minutes apparently."

Femi looked a little confused "Well, those guards really should get their timing right."

Carter looked around and yawned again "We're there already?"

Femi smiled softly at him "Five minutes, Carter."

"Oh, right then." Carter sighed and went to stand up.

"No cubicles in service, mate." Jonathan sighed.

Carter blinked in shock and threw his hands up in the air "Bloody hell, how does a man cope??"

Femi smirked and looked away to mutter something under her breath which sounded very much like "They don't..."

Alex shot a sour glare in her direction and she merely smiled provokingly back. Alex snickered and turned away stubbornly. Femi held her smile and looked back out the window to watch the darkness glide past - she couldn't help, however, glancing at Alex's reflection that shone clearly in the window. Every time she did so, she scolded herself.

Time seemed to fly by for Femi whilst she san into her thoughts. Ten minutes had already gone, and the train had now pulled up at Leeds station. Luckily for her and the boys, they had a first class compartment which had exit doors in their very own room, so they hadn't been standing by the middle class exit doors for the past ten minutes like everyone else had. When it finally pulled up and the engines hissed into a silence, the four of them stood to their feet. Alex opened the door and jumped down onto the platform with his backpack swinging on his shoulder. He turned around and held his hand out to help Femi down, who took it silently and refused to look at him the whole time.

Alex, yet again, smirked secretly to himself. He found her shyness all the more... 'entertaining', as he told himself, every time he saw her blush or avoid his gaze bashfully.

Femi brought her hand away from his strong, warm one and tucked a dark curl behind her ear. She had the red bag (which now had the little red box safely inside of it) tucked underneath her arm on the inside of her cardigan, out of sight. There was no way that she could trust her brother or uncle Jonathan with it... and she didn't know what to think about Alex. She knew she would feel a lot more relaxed if she knew she was holding onto it. And that's how it was going to stay. The night in Leeds was rather chilly and a shiver crawled down her spine. White mist clouded in the air when she breathed out and her eyes felt burning hot from the temperature change. The platform was now completely packed with the passengers from the train and she people who were waiting for them. The guards were standing at a few random doorways and watching them all go safely, and there were a couple standing on the platform with whistles in their mouths. Tall lampposts stood high above them all, yellow and bright, and were lighting the way very clearly. It was very different from the platform back where Femi lived in that it had a lot more decoration with plants and statues and flowers. She rather liked it, actually.

"Right" Alex sighed "Follow me."

Femi looked round to see him walking away from her. She jumped in surprise and grabbed Carter's arm before rushing along behind him. Jonathan was, of course, the last to follow on as he was delayed by the sight of two pretty women who had departed from the same train as them. He scolded himself for not having spotted them earlier when they were on the train.

Femi walked briskly through the noisy crowed and kept a firm eye on the back of Alex. Even though she knew that if any of them did get separated at that point, then they would just wait outside for each other, she still didn't like the thought of it actually happening. Alex came to the doorway of the waiting room where everyone was almost queuing up to get through and glanced behind him to see where the others where. Spotting them right behind him, he looked back round and held the door open for him to walk through. Femi took it from him afterwards and moved into the warmth of the marble room where people bought their tickets and could wait for their train if they felt it too cold to go outside. Carter and Jonathan kept right behind her and filed across the bright room where they all exited out of the glass doors and found themselves on a quiet road.

Jonathan appeared on the other side of Carter, who was next to Femi, and narrowed his eyes in thought "Blimey, this places has changed."

Femi peered past her brother to look at him "Did it use to be smaller?"

He shook his head carelessly "No. Just more women."

Femi's nose wrinkled at his shallow comment and she rolled her eyes. Turning her head away to look at the passing people, she sighed and released white vapour into the air. Jonathan was never going to change.


	18. Dark Conspiracies

"Chilly night, tonight, ain't it." The driver shivered from the front.

Jonathan shivered wildly, "Y-you got that r-right."

The driver chuckled and shook his head. He drove them out of the station car park and entered the main stream of cars on the central country road, which wasn't that wide at all. They were, in fact, in the middle of the countryside. The road that they were on didn't bend or fork, but just continued going straight and had nothing but fields stretching for miles either side of it.

"So what're you folks headin' to The Court for, aye? Old friends of Moss are we?" He asked.

Alex nodded, "Yeah - I take it he's gotten rather popular around here."

The taxi driver laughed, "You could say that. He only crash-landed one of his new planes into Mrs. Grove's front garden. I'm not sure if you know 'er, but she's one uh' the richest dolls around here, know what I'm sayin'?"

Alex smirked, "Yeah... that's the reason he's not in business anymore."

Femi glanced over at Alex nervously, "You know, I'm not so sure I like the sound of this 'moss'..."

Alex waved his hand carelessly, "Ah, don't let it get to you. Moss is the best flyer around here - he just isn't liked very much."

Femi looked away and sneered with sarcasm, "I can't imagine why."

"He doesn't really get out much no more. Just hides away in his Manor. People go in, n' they come out, but he don't." The driver explained.

Alex snickered and shook his head, "The little rat."

Jonathan looked back and forth from Alex and the driver with a fair expression on his face, "Oh, I dunno' though. I mean, come to think of it, if you had enough money for the alcohol, and had a huge house like Moss did, what would be the point in going out? You could just... party inside all the time!"

Femi smiled weakly at Jonathan's silliness and glanced over at Alex, "I take it the two of them get on rather well."

Alex smiled faintly and shook his head, looking up front at the road ahead "Moss doesn't really 'get on well' with anyone... but I suppose you could say he and Jonathan have certain... similarities."

"Where've you folks come in from then?" The driver asked.

"London." Carter shivered.

"Blimey - you should uh' been 'ere hours back. What time d'you leave?" He exclaimed.

Femi opened her mouth to reply but Alex squeezed her arm and she looked up at him in both surprise and confusion. He was staring intensely at the driver. As though something was wrong.

"Ah, you know... the morning time, nice n' early." He replied mysteriously.

The driver nodded, "Seven-ish, ey?"

Alex looked out the window casually, "You know, I think it's slipped my memory now. But yeah, early like that."

Femi narrowed her eyes at Alex inquisitively. Why was he acting so oddly towards the driver all of a sudden? And... why was he still holding onto her arm? Femi tugged it away irritably and folded her arms across her chest. Alex glanced down at her and shifted uncomfortably. He was more embarrassed with himself, however. Femi turned her head away from Alex and looked out of Carter's window at the black night outside with him. They really were in the middle of _nowhere_, in the freezing cold, with a taxi driver who was being treated like he was the suspect of a murder. Typical.

Femi took a deep breath in and released it, sending white mist into the air until it disappeared. She noticed a few spots of light in the distance, obviously from houses tucked away in the hills and fields. It was all very misty to Femi. She was still so tired, after all. She felt another shiver crawl down her spine, despite having the warm gloves on her pale hands, and she sank down in her seat with a small, breathless sigh. Alex glanced round at her, as did Carter, but Carter was the one to comfort her. He slipped an arm around her shoulder and she leant into his side to rest her cold cheek on his warm shoulder.

"How you hanging in there, cherub?" He asked her.

Femi nodded stiffly, "Just cold. I'll be fine. How about you?"

Carter scoffed and looked out of the black window again, "..._Starving_."

Femi attempted a light smile of amusement, but only ended up giving another violet shiver. She snuggled tightly into her brother and watched the spots of light from the other side of the window glide by hypnotically.

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_Meanwhile, back in London..._

A man dressed in black walked along a short hallway in determined, harsh strides. Although the hallway was short, it was very regal and charming. A red carpet covered the floor and the walls were of maroon and gold exotic patterns. The man came to the end of the hallway and bit his bottom lip anxiously behind his black mask. With a bubble of weak confidence, he knocked on the shiny, pine door.

"Enter." A strong woman's voice commanded from the other side.

The man swallowed down his sense of nerves and turned the handle. He slowly stepped inside and closed the door behind him. The room was wide, but short, and also had royal red carpeting. The walls were the same as the hallway, except they had a cream dado rails running along them in the very center so that the gold and red patterns were separated. Two flower pots sat either side of the doorway with tall plants in them each, and around the room were random bookshelves and accessories such as globes and telescopes. Highly interesting and geographical tools. At the opposite end of the room to the nervous man was a wide, tidy desk. The wall behind it had four windows revealing the busy London City outside, but the ruby-red curtains had been drawn to prevent anyone from seeing in.

And there, behind the desk, was a brown antique armchair. It had its back facing to the man, but there was definitely somebody sitting in it.

"Come." The woman demanded.

The man walked towards the desk and stopped a few feet away from it, "My lady - news from the troops that you had follow the Diamond Heart's possessors."

There was a tense pause. The man stood silently and waited for something to happen. He didn't know whether to speak, or to wait. Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity of nothing happening, a figure stood up and turned round from the chair to face the man. She had straight, dark hair that came down to her sides and wore tight black trousers, boots and a shirt. She had a golden belt around her waist and wore a number of golden rings on her fingers, and upon her head was a flat black hat that had a thin, grey veil hanging over her face which had small black spots here and there. A black snake was resting calmly around her neck and flicking its peach tongue at her cheek; she smiled.

"What do you have for me, my loyal servant? What enlightening news have you come to sooth my anxious heart with?" She asked with a playful pout, stroking her snake.

The man gulped behind the black material he had wrapped around his neck and chest, "F-forgive me, Meela, b-but"-

Meela's eyes tore away from the snake and snapped onto him, "Spit it out, you fool!"

He jumped and closed his eyes, "They escaped the troops you sent after them, your worship, your grace, your eminence!"

Meela's eyes filled with cold fury and her nostrils flared, "..._Again_?"

The man nodded apologetically, "Y-yes, again..." He bravely looked up at her and held his hands out innocently, "But believe me, Meela, most beautiful - we shall not fail you again. We had one of our men waiting at every station that the train would stop off at. They departed at Leeds."

"Leeds?" Meela repeated, seeming to calm down slightly.

The man nodded, "Indeed. They got into a black taxi and drove away, to where, we are not sure of."

Meela fired up again, "You insolent fool! Why were they not followed?!"

In her anger, she picked up a stapler that was on the desk with her free, black-gloved hand and launched it at the man. He ducked so that it barely just missed the black material wrapped around his head. It crashed into the door and sent a soft bang around the room. Meela huffed heavily and went back to stroking her shimmering snake. The man watched her nervously.

"Do I have to do everything myself..." She muttered rhetorically.

The man knew to stay quiet this time. Until Meela had been given time to think, she would still be at her worst temper. Although she was now mortal, she was still a fierce favourite of the God's that this man and his men worshipped. They didn't know what she was capable of - and didn't really want to find out either!

"Gather a group of your finest. Deliver them here, to my office, in ten minutes. I know where these mice are fleeing to." She ordered.

"Your grace?" He questioned.

She snapped her eyes onto him, "**GO**!"

The man jumped and nodded rapidly once more, "Y-yes, of course!"

He spun round and ran to the door as quickly as his feet could carry him. Opening the door, he dashed out of sight and slammed it behind him. Meela rolled her eyes and sighed irritably to herself. She turned around and leant back against the desk where her eyes moved down to the ground next to her.

"Men, hmm?" She spoke to the dead woman on the ground.

Her lifeless eyes were staring off into space and a thin line of blood had leaked out from her mouth and down the side of her face. Her throat was covered in blood and had stained a darker red upon the ruby carpet beneath her.

"It's almost like everything in this laborious world is against my plans - you know what I'm talking about, don't you?" Meela asked the woman with a playful pout.

Obviously, the woman didn't reply. Meela's nose wrinkled angrily and she kicked the woman in the thigh like a spoilt child. She turned away and sat back down in the chair to wait for the arrival of her new troops.

"Well, it won't matter for much longer, even if that were true. This world will be mine, soon enough," She whispered and turned her head to face her snake, "And my love and I can start, all over again... yes we can, can't we?" She cooed to the snake.

The snake flicked its tongue out at her nose and she smiled darkly. Taking a calm, deep breath in, she looked up at the clock on the wall.

It was about time she took a small trip to somewhere a little more... appeasing.

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The taxi finally reached the end of the swerving, muddy road and came to a stone fountain that was crumbling down from one side. The driver drove around it so that he was facing the way that he came in, and then stopped the car.

"'Ere we are then. The Court." The driver announced with a sigh.

The cracking of the gear stick being pulled up yanked Femi from her light doze. She gave a soft jump and her tired eyes fluttered open. Everything was so dark and cold. But she could feel her brother comforting her in his warm arms.

"How much is that?" The voice of Alex asked.

Femi took a deep breath in and turned her head to look around. Carter helped her sit up straight and she pushed her hands out in front of her to give a stretch and try to wake herself up properly.

"That's twenny' pounds, please." The driver requested.

At that moment as Femi rubbed the side of her head and looked around cluelessly, everyone looked to her. She froze and peered around at them all in surprise.

"... Hello." She stated, slightly flummoxed by all the attention.

Alex leant in, "You've got the money, lady."

Femi froze for a second and glanced up at the driver. He wasn't looking, but waiting in his seat and staring out at the darkness. Femi sighed and twisted in her seat so that she could hide herself from the driver. She undid the bag and pulled out a twenty bill note from one of the collections and handed it to Alex. As he was busy paying the man, she quickly zipped the bag back up and hid it under her arm in the inside of her cardigan once more.

"Nice on, chap." The driver thanked him.

Carter opened his door and stepped outside, and Femi followed behind him with an exhausted groaned. The minute she stepped out into the open she felt her very lungs freeze from the temperature.

"Oh my god." She shivered loudly, folding her arms across her front.

Carter jogged on the spot and nodded, "Yeah..."

Once Alex and Jonathan had gotten out next, Alex slammed the door shut and stepped back. The vehicle's gears growled lowly and then the car started driving off up the country road that it had come through.

Jonathan, huddling himself protectively, looked around cluelessly at the pitch black darkness, "Um... if you don't mind me asking, where the bloody hell are we?"

Alex turned around and took a few steps forwards. Everyone else copied him in turn and followed his gaze. Femi narrowed her eyes to focus them on whatever it was that Alex could see through the thick darkness, and soon enough, she found herself staring at a tall brick wall with wide, wooden double-doors in the center of it.

"_This_ is The Court?" Femi shivered in scepticism, "All I see is a wall."

Alex walked past her and towards the wall, "Maybe you'd like to consider what might be behind the wall?"

His mocking tone cut through Femi's pride like a knife through butter. She narrowed her eyes furiously and whipped her head round to look at Carter.

"Did you hear that? Did you hear how rude he was?" She huffed.

Carter nodded subconsciously - his eyes were glued to the wall curiously, "Yeah..."

He then walked off after Alex and left Femi standing in her anger. Her jaw dropped and she stared after him for a moment, and then looked over at Jonathan for some backup. He noticed her watching him and gave a light shrug. With a nervous chuckle, he turned away and hurried on after them. Femi shook her head subtly at their behaviour and stomped her foot.

"Men." She grunted, and then, very stubbornly, marched along towards the wall with an intention not to even speak to Alex for the next few hours.

Alex reached out and took a hold of the bronze knocker. He banged it against the wooden door four, hard times and then stood back with everyone else. Femi pulled Alex's jacket tighter around herself and then folded her arms to keep it in place. A fox cried out in the distance and the wind swooped down towards then all with a shrilly whistle.

"Come on." Jonathan grunted impatiently.

An odd clonking sound replied to Jonathan's complaining and, shortly afterwards, a square grid flipped open like a door to reveal a mousy little face. It was a man. He had a little button nose with two buck teeth that stuck over his bottom lip, and he had shaggy blonde hair and blue eyes that were darting back and forth from Femi and the others quite nervously.

"Oo' is it?" He hissed.

Alex cleared his throat and stepped into his view, "Hey, moss, old buddy, it's me. Alex O'Connell?"

The man, Moss blinked his eyes rapidly and looked Alex up and down. Alex smiled at him and nodded. Moss broke out into a huge smile and suddenly started chuckling and spluttering in happiness. Femi felt a small smile cross her lips at the sight of his friendliness, but then, he suddenly just slammed the spy-grid shut and disappeared.

Femi blinked and creased her eyebrows in offence, "Well... I say."

Jonathan rolled his eyes at Alex, "I guess he never forgot the last party he invited you to."

Alex snickered, "As if you call that a party" He shook his head and hammered his fist against the door, "Moss, I know you're there. Open up."

The square grid slid across, and Moss was there again, "Oh yeah, course', then you can blow up my 'ouse all over again, righ'!"

Femi gasped and looked up at Alex in shock, "You blew up his house??"

Alex tsk'd irritably, "No, I didn't blow up his house."

Femi shook her head, "But he said that you blew up his house."

"He _did_ blow up my house!" Moss snipped.

"**Moss**..." Alex grunted.

Femi held her hand out, "So you _did_ blow his house up?"

Jonathan raised an eyebrow in thought, "Well... it wasn't really Alex who did it, but it was because of him, I suppose you could say..."

Alex threw his hands up in the air, "I never blew up anyone's house, alright?! Now just shut up, all of you!"

Femi, Jonathan and Moss all raised their eyebrows and looked around quietly. Alex heaved a heavy sigh and pulled his hands down. Turning back to Moss, he narrowed his eyes.

"Come on, Moss. You know I know where you hide the spare key out here. We can do this the hard way, or the easy way... And you of all people should know just how 'tricky' my hard way is, yeah?" Alex threateningly suggested.

Moss paused in a reflective silence. He looked around at the other three has he tried to come to terms with the situation in his fuzzy brain. Alex raised his eyebrows impatiently. Moss rolled his eyes and sighed, and then shut the square again. Everyone blinked cluelessly for a moment and waited in the freezing silence for something to happen. Nothing did.

Femi huffed and poked Alex hard in the side of his arm, making him blink down at her, "Well that was nicely handled, Mr. O'Connell!"

Alex rolled his eyes and pushed her pointed finger away, "Just... trust me. That door's about to open in three... two..."--

The sound of a heavy bolt sliding across the door announced to everyone that Moss was letting them in. Femi raised her eyebrows and watched a normal door open up from the middle of the huge wall that stood before them. Moss rolled his eyes and stepped aside, waving his hand encouragingly, to let them in.

Alex smirked and looked down at Femi as he passed her, "See? Told you so."

Femi rolled her eyes angrily, "Such a child."

Alex stepped over the rim of the doorway with Carter, Femi and Jonathan following behind him. Before Jonathan could get very far, Moss stretched his arm out to stop him from walking. Jonathan looked down at his arm in protest and then over at Moss for an explanation.

"Try n' keep your 'ands to yourself this time, ey?" He asked.

Jonathan cleared his throat and glanced over at the others, who were watching him with scrutinizing eyes. He cleared his throat again, this time with slight embarrassment, and pushed past Moss' arm to join them casually. Moss shut the door which sent an echoing boom around the huge hall that they had entered. It was rather wide, and at the very back of it was a wooden set of double doors that were closed. The walls were a dark maroon and had pictures here and there, and the floor was a white marble. It was rather plain, but still, very large.

Moss turned around and walked through the four of them, "Follow me then."


	19. Bedtime At Last

Carter placed his hand on Femi's back and led her off in the direction that Moss was taking them. Alex quickly caught Jonathan eyeing a golden vase rather suspiciously and grabbed him by the back of the shirt to drag him along with the rest of them. Femi turned into a very large living room which had comfortable chairs and sofas positioned in the center of it. A wide, golden and cream mat had been spread across the floor - covering nearly all of it - and there were flower pots with tall plants standing around the room. The cream curtains were still parted to allow the darkness of the night to peer in, but the lamps lit the room up in a warm glow.

Femi was just about to enter it when a fat, snorting pig waddled towards her. She gasped and leapt back, clinging onto Carter as though for her very life, and watched the pink pig toddle through the doorway and off across the hallway into the other room.

Alex walked around her and chuckled "Moss likes his animals."

"Really?" Femi subconsciously breathed out.

She finally tore her eyes away from the doorway that the pig had gone through and entered the living room with everyone else. Alex sat himself down on one of the comfortable chairs, and Jonathan happily joined him. Femi sat down in a small arm chair and Carter seated himself next to Jonathan. Moss arrived shortly with a stack of five short glasses and a bottle of alcohol.

"Drinks anyone?" He sighed; Femi couldn't help but feel as though he didn't really want to give Alex this much hospitality.

The three boys leant forwards in their seats and nodded in response. Femi, however, held her hands up and smiled politely.

"Oh, no, I don't drink. Thank you." She sheepishly declined.

Moss shrugged "Fair 'nuff."

He set the other glasses down on the table and filled them up half-way with what seemed to be Courvoisier. And from where Femi was sitting, it smelt like it too. He set the bottle down and then handed Jonathan, Carter and Alex their drinks.

"Well, whass' it that I can do for you gen'lemen?" Moss asked.

"_Ahem_." Femi coughed.

Moss smiled apologetically over at her and raised his drink "N' ladies, of course. Can't forget the beau'iful ladies, can we now."

Femi returned the smile and set her hands neatly in her lap in satisfaction. Alex rolled his eyes, took a large sip from his drink, and shuffled to the edge of his seat determinedly. He wanted to get straight to the point.

"I need your help." He explained.

Moss raised his eyebrows and sat down "Do you mean the kind of 'elp where I 'elp you n' then get my proper'y destroyed afterwards, or the one where I 'elp you n' then possibly _die_ afterwards?"

Jonathan gave a short snort "Both."

Alex grunted and nudged him hard in the side so that he spilt his drink all down the front of him. Femi rolled her eyes and, resting her elbow on the arm of the chair, turned her head away and held it up with the tips of her fingers. She was then quite startled to see two white ducks waddle past...

Jonathan muttered angrily under his breath as he sat his drink on the table and began wiping his shirt with his hands. Carter was stifling a chuckle. Alex cleared his throat and smiled convincingly at Moss.

"I assure you, old buddy, that neither of those are an option." He tried to charm him.

Moss took a slow sip from his glass "Oh really?... Where's yer' proof? What evidence can you show me that proves I won't get my 'ead or 'ouse blown up, ey?"

Alex looked over at Femi and cleared his throat. However, Femi was now far too distracted by the disturbing Tarantula that was being kept in a glass case over on the side-counter at the back of the room; she could feel her skin beginning to crawl. Alex rolled his eyes and picked up a small pebble from the decorative glass bowel on the table and threw it into her lap. She gasped in fright and threw her hands up in disgust.

"Ohmygodwhatisit?!" She gasped all in one.

Carter couldn't hold it in any longer and let his light laughter out. Femi narrowed her eyes and picked up the stone in between her fingers, and then threw it back at Alex without warning; it just skidded past his ear.

"Jesus, lady, what's your problem?!" Alex snarled.

Femi glared at him "You threw it at me, first."

"Yeah, in your _lap_!" He barked "Now, gimme' the red bag will ya??"

Femi rolled her eyes and pulled out the small pouch from under Alex's large coat that she was still wearing. She carefully slid it across the table to him, where he picked it up and unzipped the top. Moss was watching eagerly, now.

"How's this for your sweet, safe proof?" Alex asked and pulled out two collections of money.

Moss' eyes lit up with desire. Alex nodded and threw them to him, and he caught it without delay. It was obviously going to work out as they had hoped. Moss flicked the money from the first single note to the very last with the other four watching him. He started chuckling and looked up with a grin.

"You've convinced me." He announced.

Alex nodded "And there's plenty more where that came from."

Moss raised his eyebrows "Whatta' you need?"

Alex leant back in success "You need to fly us to Femike in Turkey, either tonight, or tomorrow morning."

Moss rubbed the back of his head with a sore sigh "Can't do tonight, my friend. I'm expectin' n' old friend for drinks n' story-swaps. I do love the old chit-chat."

"Fine. Then we'll stay here tonight" Alex basically ordered "We'll be out of your way, resting, I promise."

Moss narrowed his eyes challengingly at Alex. It wasn't long before he lost, though. Femi blinked rapidly at Alex and sat up straight.

"W-- you mean _here_?" She whispered "With all these..."- her eyes darted over to the spider "Pets?"

Moss laughed "Don't worry, lovey, my guest rooms are animal-proof, I promise yer'."

Femi took a deep breath in, shrugging her shoulders up, and forced a small smile out as she released it. It wasn't as though she didn't like animals, because she did. In fact, she was a _huge_ aninal lover.. but she just couldn't feel safe knowing that there were things such as huge spiders living so near to her. It was the insects she couldn't do. And pigs, living in a house... it wasn't really hygienic, now, was it.

Moss tucked the two masses of money down the front of his jacket and sniffed loudly before standing to his feet. He clapped his hands together, making Carter and Jonathan jump slightly, and nodded.

"Righ', I'll show ya to yer' rooms, then. Come on." He announced.

With that, he walked past the table and through the sofas where the others were seated. Femi's eyes met with Alex's and he gave her a reassuring smile at the sight of the nervous look on her face. He stood up and walked away in the direction that Moss went. Femi stood up with a bemused eyebrow lifted: was Alex just genuine towards her?

"Bloody hell, I didn't even get to finish my drink." Jonathan grunted.

Carter sighed and patted his shoulder "I feel your pain, old boy."

Femi rolled her eyes at the two of them and hurried along out into the hallway. Were they ever going to grow up?... Probably not.

Femi followed Moss and Alex up the long, white staircase, and it wasn't long before she reached the top. Releasing a gentle sigh, and glanced behind her, and saw Jonathan and Carter literally dragging each other up with a grunt or groan at each step. They weren't far off, however. Femi shook her head with a hidden smirk and turned back around. At once, a gurgling goat came trotting down the hall to her right and almost skidded straight into her. She squeaked and slid to the side so that it missed her by an inch, and stood in a frozen shock whilst watching it head down the stairs. Unfortunately for Carter and Jonathan, the goat obviously didn't know how to maneuver around them and just knocked straight through the middle of them, sending them sideways onto the wall and railings.

"Blimey!" Carter grunted, and looked around at the goat that was now trotting further and further away "Watch where you're running, mate!"

"Too right!" Jonathan snapped.

They both leant off from their means of support and yanked proudly on the collars of their shirts or ran their fingers through their hair smoothly. Femi was now giggling; it was a real sight for sore eyes.

"Hurry up will ya'?" Alex sighed from ahead.

Femi stopped giggling and looked round at him in the hallway to her right. He raised his eyebrows impatiently and Femi huffed.

"What's the rush, Mr. O'Connell?" She asked cockily.

As she walked past Alex he chuckled "I'm trying to get you into bed."

Femi's eyes widened and she spun round at him. _Whack_. She didn't waste a moment before cracking a cold slap across his cheek. He blinked and stepped towards her in an outrage.

"What the hell, stop slapping me, lady!" He shouted.

Femi stood her ground "Then stop insulting me!"

"I was just answering your question!" Alex exclaimed.

Femi snickered and looked him up and down with disgust "I'm sure you were."

"Um... excuse me...?" Moss' dainty voice called out.

Femi and Alex remained glaring at each other from their positions. How could anyone expect Femi to tolerate Alex's behavior? She could only do so much! Jonathan and Carter, breathing heavily and gulping hard, loaded their exhausted bodies onto the floor of the hallway and collapsed with loud groans. Femi and Alex looked around at them and raised a single eyebrow each. They had only climbed a staircase - not a mountain!

"Well, whichever of you's are ready, this's your room." Moss finished.

Carter scrambled to his feet, sticking his hand in the air and still panting "Uh, yeah... I think I'll take that one."

He headed up the hall towards Femi and Alex, wavering from left to right. Jonathan watched him go and held a sarcastic hand up.

"Yeah, ok... don't worry about me, old chap." He mumbled.

Carter grabbed Femi's hand when he passed and kissed the back of it "Get some sleep tonight, misses."

Femi smiled appreciatively and squeezed his hand "You too, Carter. Enjoy that bed."

Alex nodded "Cuz' you won't be sleeping in one for a long time after tomorrow."

Carter nodded and winked at Femi before releasing her hand and walking off. Femi took a soft breath in and watched her beloved, clumsy brother open his bedroom door and step inside. The door shut behind him and Moss scratched the back of his head.

"I've heard good comments 'bout the bed in that room. Dunno' wha' makes it so comfy" He sniffed "Ah well, the others are just as good in my opinion."

Femi smiled gratefully "Any bed is a perfect bed right now. Thank you."

Jonathan appeared next to Alex "Well, I have to say, I know my bed really _would_ be perfect if I had some... company."

He raised his eyebrows and looked Femi up and down. She felt his eyes upon her and looked over her shoulder with an eyebrow of question lifted. Alex growled a sigh and wrapped his arm around Jonathan's neck, perhaps a little too tightly. Jonathan jumped, but was held helplessly to Alex's chest. Femi just blinked.

"How's about those other rooms, huh Moss?" Alex asked.

Moss flashed an unsure smile and turned around to lead them up the rest of the hallway. Alex dragged Jonathan along with him and didn't even glance at Femi as he passed. Femi rolled her eyes and followed them tiredly. She just wanted to relax. As they continued on, they passed many other doors to (so Femi assumed) many other bedrooms. But obviously, if Moss wasn't opening any of them, then they weren't for use. They finally reached the end where a set of pine, double-doors stood. Moss turned their handles and opened them both out; stepping inside with the others, Femi found herself in a completely new sitting area. There was a window on the other side of the room which revealed the dark outside sky, and plum curtains were drawn back either side. There was a book shelf on the left, filled with all coloured books, and an orange fire was flickering in the fireplace on the opposite wall. Comfortable leather armchairs and a couch sat in the middle of the room, facing the warmth of the fireplace, and an exquisite carpet was covering the marble floor. 3 doors were positioned around the room that led, obviously, into other rooms.

"Well, here you go. Pick your room." Moss sighed.

He went to turn around and leave. Femi was so delighted to be staying in such a comfortable place that she rounded up enough confidence to confront Moss with a question. She quickly turned around with a light gasp and caught his attention.

"Uh... Mr. Moss, kind sir"- She began hesitantly.

Moss held onto the handles of the door "Yes?"

Femi smiled charmingly "I don't suppose that, as brash as I may be being... there's any way of me, well, cleaning myself up a bit?"

Moss smiled and eyed her up and down "You mean a bath?"

Femi folded her arms in discomfort "Well... yes."

Alex narrowed his eyes at Moss from his distance across the room. Moss nodded to Femi and held his hand out towards the door on the left of the room.

"Choose that room, then. For some reason, the wa'er pipes never ran over in'to the free' other rooms, so iss' only in that room that yer' gonna' get any wa'er system." He explained.

Femi filled with excitement "Oh, thank you ever so much."

Jonathan cleared his throat "Hang on, what if I wanted a bath, too?"

Femi looked round at him guiltily. Alex merely rolled his eyes; his uncle was older than him, and yet acted like a spoilt little child. Moss snickered and began backing out of the room with the doors closing in on him.

"Ladies first, ey?" He chuckled.

The doors finally closed and left the three of them in a soft silence, all but the crackling of the fire which sent a warm glow around the room. Jonathan sighed - giving an accurate imitation of a horse snuffling - and tilted his head back hopelessly.

"Alright then... fine." He whispered.

He threw his hands up in the air and turned around in small shuffles. He looked left and right from the only two doors left and thought carefully. Alex raised an eyebrow. Jonathan flicked his hand out and nodded.

"Alright, I guess I'll take that one. Night, you two." He sighed.

He moved across the room to the door on his left. Femi looked down at the floor awkwardly and listened to the sound of the door opening, and then closing. Alex looked away and over at Femi; he watched her for a moment. There was suddenly a loud laughter from Jonathan in his room and a sudden 'yeeeeeeha!'. Both Femi and Alex let out short chuckles. Femi finally looked up at Alex with, perhaps, a bit of self-consciousness.

"Well... I suppose... I'll see you in the morning, then." Femi muttered with a couple of unsure nods.

Alex nodded "Yeah."

She stared at him for another few seconds. He did look rather attractive the glow of the fire. Little did she even consider that Alex might have been thinking the exact same thing about her. With another awkward nod, Femi unfolded her arms and flashed him a smile of goodnight. She turned, and Alex watched her walk across the room, open the door, and step inside.

Femi closed the door behind her and released a small sigh as she pressed her back up against the door. She really didn't like how unconfident she had just felt when with Alex. It wasn't her, at all. But her thoughts were quickly taken over by the room she had entered. It wasn't marvellously grand like she had expected it to be - for mostly everything (apart from all the undomesticated 'pets') that she had seen about this house had been. The room was a fairly big size, but not huge, and it had a marble flooring with cream walls and a king sized white bed up against the wall on her right. There were thick white curtains pulled back either side the windows on the wall to her left, and a wardrobe stood against the wall directly opposite to her across the room. It was perfect.

Femi smiled happily and walked over to the windows where she took a hold of each curtain. She looked outside to see the moonlit side-garden where a huge tree stood upon the grassy area. She was just about to tug them shut when a dubious black shadow caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. She froze and narrowed her eyes curiously at the base of the tree trunk. There was nothing. It had just been the shadow of the branches?

Femi shook her head and pulled the curtains shut. Now was a time when she could stop worrying about the dangers. She was safe here. Femi turned around and slipped Alex's coat off with a nod.

"Safe..." She whispered.

Her eyes moved over to the door that stood in the corner of the room near the head of her bed. She bit her bottom lip with excitement and quickly walked over to it, throwing the coat onto the bed. She opened the door and stepped into the darkness of the room, and after feeling around near the wall, she found the lighting chain and pulled on it. The room lit up; it was made entire of marble - including the large bath that had a couple of steps leading up to it - and the walls were covered with mirrors from inch to inch. Towels sat in the wooden rack, ready for use, and soaps and different coloured glass bottles sat lined up along the shelf on the top.

Femi was in heaven.

She hastily made her way up to the bath and turned the tap on so that hot water began pouring out of the silver faucet. She laughed quietly to herself and held her hand out to feel the warmth of it. It felt like heaven, just as it had seemed. Femi put the plug in and turned on the hot and cold at full speed so that the room began filling with steam immediately.

She leant back and carefully stripped all of her clothes off and threw them to the floor in an untidy pile. She could care less for folding up those clothes; they were so dirty and worn out, already. Femi removed the single clip from her hair so that all of her messy curls fell down to the middle of her back in a disarranged manner. She tore her hungry eyes away from the water and looked at herself in one of the mirrors. She tenderly dabbed at the side of the thin cut on her cheek and nose just to see if they were dry yet. To her benefit, they were, and judging by how her ankle was injured from within her skin, she knew it was perfectly safe to get it wet. Perhaps it would even do some good.

Femi sat on the side of the bath and stroked her hand in the water the entire time that it took for it to fill up. The room was now filled with hot steam that softened her skin and helped her relax. She turned off both taps and stood up to collect an oil from the shelf. As she scanned her eyes along the different bottles, trying to decide which one to use, she was disturbed by a noise. It came from the main bedroom on the other side of the door. Like a clonk. Metal against metal, almost.

She froze in worry and looked over at the door. She slowly pulled a towel from the racks and wrapped it around her body. Gulping roughly, she tip-toed to the door and opened it. She peered through the gap and looked out into her bedroom; it was completely empty. Femi stood there for another minute or so to double check that there really was nothing going on. When she felt she had reassured herself enough, she closed the door with a roll of her eyes. Femi smirked at herself and shook her head, removing her towel and hanging it on the back of the door.

"Relax, girl..." She whispered.

Femi sighed heavily and walked over to the bath. As soon as her skin felt the hot water, her fears and worries melted, along with any other bothersome emotions.


	20. Swapping Stories

The large grandfather lock in the entrance hall of The Court struck midnight and chimed loudly through the hallways. Not loudly enough, however, to drown out the sound of a huge laugh exploding from the dining room. Moss and his friend had been 'chit-chatting' for over four hours now, and not quietly would anyone say. Femi, more than definitely, would have agreed.

Moss' hysterical laugh banged against the other side of the door, making her look up from the small book she was reading. She watched the door impatiently until the sound faded and allowed her to listen to the warm fire crackling. She sighed comfortably and turned her gaze back onto the page of the book that was being held up with one hand.

She was sitting in the leather armchair with her feet tucked underneath her and her now _clean_ body wrapped in a thick, peach dressing gown that she found hanging up in the wardrobe. After combing through her hair, which was now almost dry and back to its healthy-looking, curly self, she attempted to fall asleep in her more than comfortable bed... but just couldn't. Every time she closed her eyes, she would begin to fidget or itch. She couldn't force herself asleep. Femi had expected herself to be absolutely shattered after the long, action-packed journey she had come on, but she was the exact opposite. Wide awake.

And so, feeling completely hopeless, she turned to the help of the bookshelf and decided to pass some time until she really did feel tired. Femi gave a petty yawn and patted her lips with her finger tips. Turning the page, she cleared her throat and started reading again. As the burning wood in the fireplace gave another sharp crack, Femi heard a door open. She looked up from the book and across the room; Alex was standing in the doorway of his bedroom.

He was still fully dressed, and still looked as unrefined and rugged as ever. Femi just stared at him emotionlessly. He pulled his door to behind him and walked towards the seating area where she was curled up.

"Couldn't sleep either, huh?" He asked.

Femi raised her eyebrows and sighed down at her book "I was hoping I could blame it on the bed... but Moss was right when he said they were comfortable."

Alex smirked lightly and glanced over at the fire "I guess that leaves me without a reasonable excuse, either. How's the book?"

Femi tensed the corner of her mouth in disappointment "Not very helpful, I have to say."

She sighed again and closed the book with a gentle thud. She held it tightly in both hands and rested them in her lap. Alex wandered over to the fireplace and leant his arm up along the mantle piece. Femi secretly admired his silhouette from her seat as he stared down, into the sassy fire.

"So, Mr. O'Connell - what's _your_ story then?" She calmly asked.

Alex raised his eyebrows and peered round at her "You sound curious."

Femi shifted in her seat a little "People tend to be when they ask questions."

Alex smirked at her wittiness and turned around to face her "What exactly d'you wanna' know?"

Femi shrugged faintly and, slipping her feet out onto the floor, stood up and slowly headed over to the bookshelves "Well, the basics, I suppose. Where you were born, how you came to live where you do, how you became a bar-tender" Femi paused and lowered her gaze "Why you and your parents seem to have... complications."

Alex raised his eyebrows "Doesn't everyone have complications with their parents?"

Femi put the book back onto the shelf and calmly looked round at him "Does everyone who has mundane complications with their parents constantly divert answering a question upon the matter like you are?"

Alex narrowed his eyes in mystification. Femi always asked such deep questions that made one think. Femi slipped her hands into the warm pockets of her dressing gown and tilted her head to the side with a little smile. Alex took a deep breath in and smiled weakly, shifting one ankle over the other.

"Why're you so interest?" He asked.

Femi smiled craftily "I'm just trying to make conversation" She mimicked his previous statement "If we're going to be on a trip this long together, I figured we could at least be civil... Right?"

Alex's eyes lingered upon hers for a few seconds as he took everything in. Her skin. Her hair. Her posture, and her mannerism. Her character and mystery. She was definitely unusual. But... was that really a _bad_ thing?

Alex finally nodded with a click of his tongue and looked at the table in a reflective thought "Well... ever since the whole thing with the Scorpion King happened, my life changed completely. I wanted to explore more and become an archaeologist in Egypt. I wanted to get back out there" He began "But my parents had different plans. They kept me far away from anything to do with Egypt, and I began hating them more and more for it. It was my dream, I suppose."

"To work with Egypt?" Femi asked reassuringly.

Alex nodded solemnly "To discover more about it's past. I wanted to be out there doing all of that, just like my parents had. But they didn't want any of it. They wanted to step away from it all and leave it behind."

"Why?" Femi asked curiously.

Alex scoffed and rolled his eyes at the memory "Probly' because they'd had enough life-endangering experiences. And that's understandable, sure, but I was ready for anything."

"...So what happened?" Femi whispered.

Alex paused for a moment, and then turned to look back down at the fire "I finally realised that I was old enough to choose my own path. They couldn't stop me any longer... so I just... left."

Femi's eyebrows lowered thoughtfully "Didn't they try to stop you?"

"Oh yeah. They tried. They tried over and over..." Alex tonelessly replied "Telling me that they weren't doing it because they didn't want me to enjoy my life, but because they cared for me and wanted the best for me. That they didn't want me going down the same road that they did..."

"Your parents _do_ care for you, Alex." Femi supported him; he sounded a little too emotionless for his own good.

"I gotta' have my own life" Alex replied "and I gotta' have it my way, not theirs... That was the last thing I said to them before I stormed out. My friend helped me settle into that apartment n' then I got myself a job down at the King of Spades and... well, I haven't spoken to them since."

Femi's heart sank "How long?"

Alex gave another pause "Almost two years."

Femi's eyebrows creased together sadly. How could he and his parents have stayed apart for so long? Femi couldn't understand it. If her mother were still alive, she would never have risked being away from her for so long. And if her father were still safe and with her, she would probably be laughing and chatting away with him right now. But she couldn't... not like Alex. A warm silence of rumination filled the room and weighed down onto Femi's shoulders. Alex kept staring down into the fire with about a billion memories and thoughts filling his head.

Femi shook her head to herself with glossing eyes "Don't you miss them?"

Alex licked his bottom lip "... Whether I miss them or not won't change the fact that they've always tried to organise and control my life. They gave up trying to win me back about four months ago. Ever since, life has been just as I had expected. Without them, I'm..."--

"Alone." Femi finished for him.

Alex slowly turned around to look at her "Stronger."

"How can being alone make a person stronger? You must feel"--

"What I feel is freedom, life and no weight at all. I can make a decision on my own, and not have to worry. I can be who I want to be and live out my dream. I wanted my chance to prove I could do it, and they never gave it to me." Alex interrupted her.

Femi looked over at his dark figure "Parents have a job to behave that way. Their duty is to make sure their children are safe, regardless of whether their children like it or not. They just do."

Alex stepped towards her "Not by stopping me from doing the only thing I have a passion for - and what makes them so sure that I'm gonna' go and get myself mixed up with a load of zombies? Just because they did, it doesn't mean I will. My life has never been so different since I walked away from them. And until they can accept me and my life, I won't accept them."

When Alex came close enough to Femi, he suddenly noticed the tears shimmering in her eyes from the glow of the fire. His expression immediately softened and he just stared at her. Femi's eyelids jogged and a tear trickled down her cheek, sparkling in the orange glow of the fire. She tried to make it stop. She didn't want anyone to see her cry. She sniffed and quickly wiped it away before turning away from Alex. She went to walk away, but Alex stopped her.

"Wait..." He muttered to her, curious.

Femi stopped, and frowned over at the couch. She slowly turned her head and then turned around to face Alex properly. She was holding herself back, he could see that, but he could also see the sadness lingering in her usually strong, placid eyes.

Femi parted her lips "If you parents were gone within the next second... would you still be saying that?" She whispered.

Alex's eyes squinted in the faintest. Femi stared up at him with sad, desperate eyes... but at the same time, they were so distant and scared. So soft, and gentle, but full of words and dreams. So independent, and yet lonely... Everything but nothing, all at the same time.

"Whatta' you mean?" Alex uttered curiously.

"If you parents were taken from you permanently, would you still be saying that? If you knew you could never see them again, would you still feel stronger and alive, and so free?" Femi asked.

Alex inclined his head "But they aren't going to be."

Femi raised her eyebrows "How do you know?... How do you know that tomorrow, they won't be gone forever? Would you, then, still be glad that you're without them and living life as you are? Could you look at yourself in the mirror and honestly declare that you're still happier without them??"

Femi's voice was growing louder and filling with more emotion. At this point, Alex was getting just as curious about her past as she was about his. Something was wrong. He had known there was something more to this young girl from the first moment he had met her. She put on her strong, determined side in front of everyone, but when alone, there was another side. This side. Alex looked her up and down and lifted his head back up.

"What's your story?" He asked.

Femi lowered her head and took her hands out of her pockets to fold her arms across her chest insecurely. Was she ready to tell Alex something so personal and important, to her? He didn't need to know. It was irrelevant. Femi released a breathless little scoff and shook her head, turning away again.

"Really, Alex, it's hardly important..."--

"No, wait" Alex interrupted her, and she stopped again "What is it? What are you hiding, huh?"

Femi closed her eyes for a moment to reflect. What was she hiding? She wasn't hiding it, but more like avoiding it. She wasn't about to blurt out her mother's death when no one was asking. But now, Alex was. And so, Femi slowly opened her eyes and peered round over her shoulder with a gentle mourning in her glossy eyes.

"When I was nine... I... lost my mother." She confessed.

Alex froze for a moment, and studied her in the glow of the fire. Femi sighed tenderly and turned round to face him fully.

"That's my story." She, almost sarcastically, whispered.

Alex averted his eyes guiltily. Of course; how could he have been so foolish? For some odd reason... Alex was actually concerned. He actually cared about what Femi felt or thought. Why? They were just strangers, and he was only on this journey with her because of the money. So why did he actually care about any of this? Alex glanced back over at her. She wouldn't look up at him now.

"How?" He hesitantly asked.

Femi finally looked up at him "Cancer. She had three months. It was hard, but we pulled through."

Crap. Alex felt only a million times worse. Femi and her family had to watch Mrs. Reynolds slowly die of cancer. Nothing must have been worse than that. And all that time, Alex had been blabbering on about how great his life was without his parents. He felt utterly idiotic. Femi stared into Alex's eyes with a serious gleam in them.

"Don't lock your parents out" She told him, in almost a whisper "...No matter how big the argument, or how strong the anger is at the time... You never know when they could be stolen away from you. You may never get the chance to make it right." She told him.

Alex stared down at her in a new silence. Femi felt her emotions change from sadness and anger, to alarm and warmth. She couldn't look away from him. His eyes had stunned her completely, for they were filled with an emotion that she had never seen - nor expected - his eyes to contain when looking at her: care.

_BOOM_.

The thunderous bang echoed throughout the whole house and barged into the moment like a firework exploding in the darkest of skies. Femi jumped with a startled gasp and whipped her head round to look at the door with Alex. The sound of loud shouts and foreign, inconclusive words hammered at the door. Moss' voice yelled out loudly and many smashes and bangs followed shortly afterwards.

"Who the hell d'you 'fink you are?!!" Moss shouted.

"Search the house! Vahenarr!!" A man yelled.

Femi's heart filled with dread and fear "They're here...!"

Alex grabbed Femi by her forearm and yanked her away from the bookshelves. She gasped and jogged along behind him as he led her across the room towards her door. Jonathan's door suddenly swung open and he rushed out with his trousers half on and half off, and his shirt undone. He had clearly decided to come out before finished dressing himself.

"What the bloody hell's going on?!" He grunted.

The main door to the living room swung open with an alarming bang. Alex and Femi came to a skidding, alarmed halt and gasped over at the door in suspense. Alex stepped in front of Femi protectively, assuming the worst, when Carter ran in, panting heavily. He quickly slammed the door shut behind him and pressed his back up against it with a loud gulp.

"They've found us - the men in black. They're coming up the stairs right now!" He announced.

Jonathan swallowed nervously and pointed to the door "Right... of course. Well, I'll be in my room."

With that, he spun around and slammed his door shut. Alex turned back round and proceeded to pull Femi across the room. He opened her door and shoved her inside quite stubbornly. Femi spun around and pushed against the door to open it again.

"Wait, where are you going?!" She gasped.

Alex grunted at her "To sort this out. Stay here, got it?"

He went to close the door, but Femi stopped him once again "And just wait for you to get killed? Are you _insane_?!"

Alex looked over his shoulder "Carter, bring me that chair" When Carter nodded and got to it, Alex looked back round at Femi "Listen, Femi, I can't fight these guys if I've got you getting in the way."

"In the way??" She yelped with insult.

Carter sat the chair down next to Alex and looked to his sister in confusion. Alex stepped over to Femi and looked down at her so that she was almost pressed against him. His eyes were so deep and exciting. Femi couldn't help but stare in a freeze, blushing.

"Stay here until we come and get you." He ordered.

Little did Femi realise that whilst Alex distracted her with his heated approach, she had stopped pushing on the door. It was only when Alex winked cheekily, stepped back and then slammed the door shut that she realised what a sneaky trick he had played on her.

She blinked rapidly and soon gave a shocked gasp of anger. What an asshole! Femi turned the handle and went to push the door open, but it wouldn't budge! Femi looked up and down at the door in confusion and slammed her side into the door. Now she knew what the chair was for.

Femi slammed her hands against the door a few times "Alex! Alex, you let me out of here this instance! _Alex_!"

There was no reply.

"Carter?! Carter, I am your sister, now let me out!!" She cried.

Still, nothing.

They had gone off to fight, obviously. Femi let out a frustrated scream and turned away from the door with a loud punch. She rubbed her face with her hands, and when she pulled them down, her eyes darted over to the curtains of her window that were blowing gracefully in the wind. Her heart froze over in fear. She wandered over to the curtains and brushed one aside to look out; her window was open. No, not open, but a large square (almost the entirety of the glass) had been cut out with some kind of blade...

"Hallo' 'dere, little girl." A deep voice spoke out.

Femi gasped and spun around. A man dressed in black was standing in the doorway of her bathroom, with a long, silver dagger in his left hand. They had done it, once again. They had followed without being noticed, and waited until this precise moment to attack. And now Femi really was all alone to defend herself.

And with nothing but her bare hands...


	21. Defeated?

The man stepped out of the bathroom and into the main bedroom. Femi quickly stole a glimpse of the door as a plan of escape filled her mind. The only thing stopping that door from opening was a chair on the other side, locking the handle. If Femi rammed into it at a fast enough speed, she might just be able to break the barrier.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk" The man tutted playfully "You should know bedder' 'dan to try and anger us any more than you already have."

"W-what do you want with me...?" Femi bluffed.

The man laughed "Playing dumb again, are we?"

He spun his dagger tauntingly in his head, and within the blink of an eye, suddenly darted it towards Femi and it slammed into the wall just an inch next to her head; it had caught one of her curls, however, which was now hanging from the wall like a painting. Femi leapt away from the wall and sprinted across the room towards the door as fast as she could. The man leapt across the bed and chased after her with no fear of her escaping whatsoever. Femi gritted her teeth and slammed herself into the door as hard as she could. All she succeeded in doing was bruising the entire left side of her body. Her vision became blotched with black sparks and she felt far too light headed to protect herself. The man caught up to her and, grabbing the back of her neck and arm, swung her round and threw her back across the room. She screamed and landed on the floor with a painful bang, where she rolled over a couple of times, and landed lifeless in a weak twist.

Her body throbbed with aching pain, just as her mind did with icy dizziness. She moaned under her breath and rolled onto her back with her curls lying across her face and her vision blurred up. The man's footsteps vibrated from the floor and into her mind which really didn't help the situation at all. When he reached her, he leant down and grabbed her by the throat and pulled her up to her feet. Femi gasped and coughed and stumbled up with his hand - as though she had much choice.

The man moved behind her and, wrapping one arm around her stomach, held the dagger to her throat threateningly "Where is 'de diamond heart?"

Femi closed her eyes and swallowed "I... I don't..."--

He pressed the cold blade against her skin "Where?!"

Femi flinched and tilted her head back nervously. She really thought that she was going to be killed, now. She had slipped away from death a one too many times. The man smelt her hair and slowly stroked the blade down her throat and onto her chest. He parted the dressed gown slightly and ran the tip of the blade across the top of her left breast. He drew blood. Femi gasped from the stinging pain and squirmed in his grasp.

"You're just making dis' harder for yourself... tell me where de' diamond heart is, and 'de lives of you and your companions may be spared." He whispered.

Femi stared at the wall opposite and gritted her teeth. She breathed heavily through her nose and kept her ground. She could hear her mother's laugh echoing in the back of her mind, and ghostly visions of her father's smile drifted before her. She couldn't give in. She couldn't. Not for anything. The fate of the world was at their hands.

The man growled impatiently and tightened his arm around her stomach so that she was finding it hard to breath. He pushed the blade down the very center of her dressing gown and she felt the cold blade tickling her stomach. She had to do something. Anything. So what if she gained a few cuts - it was worth her life! Femi closed her eyes and casually eased her head forwards as though she was giving in. The man smiled cockily and began pulling the dagger back up again.

"'Dat's it, little girlie..." He whispered in her ear.

Femi's face scrunched up with determination and she suddenly threw her head back and cracked it into his forehead. The man lost all sense of control and Femi ran forwards and onto the bed when he forgot all about holding onto her. He fell back onto the floor, clutching his nose, and the dagger dropped to the ground before him. Femi turned around and glanced down at it desirably. It was merely one foot away from the man; she couldn't risk it. She turned and leapt down from the bed with immense power and ran to the door once more where she began pounding her fists upon it as hard as her nerves could stand.

"ALEX! LET ME _OUT_!" She screamed madly.

She heard an angry groan and looked over her shoulder. The man was slowly standing back up once more. Femi turned around with her back pressed up against the door. What exactly could she do now?! Without thinking anything through, Femi ran to the bed again and fell to the floor. She flattened herself out and desperately crawled to the far back of it where she was squashed up against the wall with her knees bent. The man lowered back down onto the floor and pulled himself towards her with his elbows. When he was close enough, he started reaching out. Femi screamed and started kicking at his hands and arms with everything she had.

"Get away!" She yelled.

She man grabbed onto her shin and pulled her towards him some. Femi kicked her other foot out and smacked it straight into his nose. He groaned, but didn't let go. So she did it again, this time, with even more force. This guy was strong! But the time _finally_ arrived when he couldn't hold on any longer and fell unconscious. Femi whimpered in relief and quickly crawled off to the side where she came out from under the bed. Standing up, she looked around for another escape route.

Her eyes fell upon the window and she whinged "Not again..."

A loud smash came from the other side of her bedroom door and she yelped loudly. There was a serious fight going on out there. But Femi couldn't stay in here much longer, for there would surely be more of those men in no time. Femi rolled her eyes anxiously and ran to the window. Peering out, she looked left and right. There was no drain pipe to climb down, but there was a thick, concrete ledge trailing around the house for decoration. It ran all the way to the front of the house where the porch roof stood solidly above it. Femi glanced back over at the door and sighed. She had to go. Femi bit on her bottom lip in concentration and carefully lifted herself out of the window and onto the ledge. She gripped the frame of the window and stood with her back facing the outside. Taking a deep breath in, Femi nodded to herself. She was just about to start moving along when she heard the door burst open with a thundering boom.

"Search de' room!" A voice yelled.

Femi gasped and quickly shuffled away from the window. A head poked out of it and spotted her moving away. When Femi saw him, her shock and fear caused her to lose grip, and with a scream, she quickly pressed herself to the wall. The man leant out of the window and waved his hands out to try and grab Femi. Femi squealed and squeaked as she attempted to stand strong against his hands. She turned her head away and hurriedly moved along the ledge, away from the man. The wind was so chilly and her long hair was waving around her face as though purposely trying to distract her. Femi was now out of reach from the man that was trying to get her, and she felt fairly relieved. However, she had stupidly forgotten that there was more than one window in her room.

The window ahead of her opened up and two men poked their heads out to look at her. Femi gasped and stopped walking. What was she going to do? She was trapped! She couldn't go forwards, and she couldn't go backwards either. A loud boom came from a room somewhere inside the house and many shouts and calls followed. It sounded like the next World War was blooming from inside the house! The two men in front of her chuckled in victory and one of them climbed out onto the ledge with Femi. Femi squinted her helpless eyes and backed away from him. He drew out a silver dagger - which Femi had become more than acquainted with for her own liking - and slashed it out at her tauntingly. Femi's foot slipped over the edge of the ledge and she screamed, and quickly pressed her cheek to the wall.

The man laughed "Careful where you 'sdep, girlie. You're no use 'do us dead."

Femi ignored his teasing and shuffled away from him with each step that he took towards her. Femi had completely forgotten about the man waiting for her back at the other window; her mind was so focussed on keeping a distance between her and the dagger that she was oblivious to it.

A hand slapped onto her back and grabbed the scruff of her dressing gown. Femi screamed and twisted around to get the hand off of her, but in her attempt, she lost balance once more. This time, she couldn't save herself.

"Grab her!" The man to her right yelled.

The other man reached out to try and catch her, but missed hopelessly. Femi fell backwards and, trying to push herself back up, pressed her feet onto the corner of the ledge. It only gave her a large push backwards which made her soar across the open air as she plummeted down towards the hard ground. Femi screamed up at the dark sky with that horrid sensation stinging in her stomach. She felt her body be surrounded with sharp prickles and suddenly landed front-down on something long, hard and... wooden. Femi groaned and pushed herself up into a sitting position; she was in a tree, sitting on a thick branch!

Femi rubbed her aching ribs and coughed a leaf off of her bottom lip. She looked around to try and find a way down, and to her advantage, the ground was only ten feet down. Femi slipped her right leg over the back and held onto the branch with her arms. She immediately let go and fell down onto the ground where she stumbled to her knees. Femi got up right away and stumbled to the side ungracefully as she tried to regain her balance. She brushed herself down and hid behind the trunk of the tree to look around. Nothing was happening outside. All the action was inside. Femi stepped out from behind the tree and cautiously looked up at the window ledge that she fell from; the men were gone. No doubt, they were on their way to fetch her from the tree she had fallen in. Femi had to move, _now_!

She spun to the left and ran off along the green grass towards the back of the house. She didn't know exactly what she was going to do when she found a hiding spot, but she did know that she had to get away from that tree. Those men would soon arrive and start searching for her. The grass finished and Femi was forced to run along the side-road made of cobble. It was so cold beneath her bare feet. Femi already looked as though she had been living in the forest for a week, and she had only just had a bath! So much for safety, warmth and sleep, huh.

Femi came to a skidding stop when she reached the back of the house. About eight stables were lined up next to each other with sleeping horses inside. A loud bang exploded from a room above her and she jumped. The stables, it was. It was better than nothing. Femi licked her dry, bottom lip and ran over to the line of stables with a racing heart and stinging cheeks. She felt so cold again. Luckily, Femi found a pair of jelly boots sitting outside one of the horse houses and quickly slipped them on. They would definitely help her run faster upon rougher ground. She saw on the gate of the stable in front of her that the horse's name was 'Acorn'. Pretty.

"Faster! We can't let her get away!" Someone roared from the distance.

Femi gasped and whipped her head around just in time to see a group of men run out from the darkness cast down on the side of the house. She quickly pulled the silver bolt across and opened the gate to slip inside. Closing it, she backed away from the door and looked up at the beautiful chestnut horse that was chewing on some hay. Femi stroked Acorn's side affectionately to try and keep him calm and still, and she moved up to his neck where she bent over slightly. She continued to stroke his neck and whisper shaky 'sssssshhh's to him. Acorn gruffled out of his nose and lifted his head up and down excitedly. Femi raised an eyebrow and looked up at his face. Acorn finished chewing his hay and scraped his front, left foot upon the ground. Femi narrowed her eyes in thought and looked back out of the stable. A shadow was being cast on the wooden stable opposite to the one she was in; someone was getting closer.

"Alright..." Femi whispered.

She grabbed onto the mane of Acorn and carefully walked backwards to bring him around with her. He gruffled again and nodded his head up and down. Femi walked back to the middle of his body and gripped the top of the wooden fence either side of the stable. It was only then that she realised there was a horse either side of her, also. These stables weren't individual at all, but merely had fences separating them. As Femi jumped up onto the back of Acorn - almost falling backwards, might I add - she looked to her left. Over the top of all the other horses, she could see one of those men in each stable, searching around under the horses and in the hay. Femi gripped Acorn's blonde mane and took a deep breath in. She had never ridden a horse before, let along without a saddle or reigns. Femi closed her eyes and leant down to the horse.

"Help me out, Acorn." She whispered into his ear.

His ear twitched a couple of times and Femi released a heavy breath. This was the moment. Femi nudged Acorn in the side with her foot and shouted out loudly. Acorn whinnied and charged at the gate so that it swung right open and granted him freedom without any hesitation at all. Femi pulled on the right part of his mane to turn him in the correct direction, towards the house. As she galloped back along the road towards the side of the house, she heard the men shouting angrily and looked over her shoulder to see several other horses who had escaped from their stables running up behind her.

Femi pressed her knees against the side of Acorn's body to keep her tightly upon his back and gripped his hair to keep herself steady. She bobbed up and down with his galloping and squinted her eyes with the strong wind. Keeping her eyes locked upon the long, dark path before her, she could hear the galloping footsteps of the other horses growing louder and louder. She glanced over her shoulder to check that she wasn't being followed by anything more than _just_ horses; and she wasn't. She looked away just before a figure fell down from one of the windows above and landed comfortably on the back of a cream horse not too far back from Femi. Femi only knew that she had such company when they called out:

"Miss me?!"

Femi gasped and whipped her head around to see who it was. She was greeted with Alex and one of his cocky smiles. Nonetheless, Femi found herself smiling at him.

"Alex! I thought you were fighting!" She called out.

Alex nodded once and galloped up beside her "And I thought I told you to stay in your room!" He grunted.

"Well I would have if you hadn't locked me in a room with one of those men!" She snapped back at him.

Alex's expression seemed to change into something somewhat shocked. Shocked and, perhaps, rather guilty. Worried. Concerned.

"You -- _what_??" He growled angrily.

Femi cast her gaze back onto the path as she galloped along "_Yes_! And I hope you feel perfectly awful because of it!"

Alex sighed under his breath and watched Femi from his seat next to her. Her dark hair flowing in the wind behind her, and her pale skin which only looked all the more alluring under the influence of the night. Even through all of everything that had happened so far, Femi still managed to maintain an image of determination and strength. He knew about her past now, and why she was so stiff and snappy, and not only that, but now she was being taken on a dangerous adventure to save her father. She was still strong, nonetheless. Alex's eyes caught onto a small path of blood that had stained into the chest area of her dressing gown. She had been cut, quite obviously.

"You're alright though, aren't ya'?!" He called over to her.

Femi glanced back at him "I'm alright!"

He nodded at her "Good!"

"So what's the plan??" Femi asked nervously.

Alex narrowed his eyes to focus on the road "Moss is waiting for us in the Courtyard with his plane, so we sh"--

There was a sudden loud bang - definitely not from inside the house. Acorn came to a skidding stop and whinnied loudly, jumping back into his hind legs. Femi gasped loudly and slipped down his back to fall straight off him and crash down onto the ground helplessly.

"Femi!" Alex shouted.

He pulled on the mane of his horse and jumped down from its back when it had slowed down enough. He rushed over to Femi with the other horses fleeing on either side of him and leant down to her. She coughed softly and then sighed. It just never ended. Alex took both of her hands and pulled her up onto her feet so she could brush herself down.

"You alright?" He panted.

Femi nodded "Yes."

Femi then looked around to see Acorn lying lifelessly on the ground. There was a small, red hole in the front of his chest and blood was slowly seeping out of it. Femi gasped and spun around to face Alex with her hands to her horrified face. Alex looked down at her, in slight awkwardness perhaps; he was never good at the whole 'comforting women' thing. Hesitantly, he pulled her to him and loosely wrapped his arms around her, and as she hid within them to try and overcome the horrid incident that had just taken place. Femi was such an animal person. She loved all creatures, to such strength. But as Alex comforted her, dark figures suddenly began to appear from every angle until, at last, they were surrounded. Alex glared out at them in defeat. There were far too many for Alex to take on. He gripped Femi's forearms tightly and lowered his head to whisper in her ear.

"Whatever happens, don't make them angry." He told her.

Femi removed her hands from her teary face and looked up at him in confusion. She saw that his dark eyes were glaring out at something, and so she turned around to see.

"Make who"-- She cut herself off with a startled gasp.

They were surrounded.

"Seize them!" One of the men ordered.

Femi gasped and looked around in a panic as all of the men moved in on them. Alex just remained still and waited for them to come. Four men came forwards and grabbed onto Alex rather aggressively and tore him away from Femi. Femi spun around and stepped forwards to defend him when she felt a pair of hands grab onto each of her arms. She looked left and right and tried yanking her arms free.

"Let go of me!" She growled.

"_Femi_." Alex snapped.

Femi looked over at him and sighed helplessly. She remembered what he had told her. Not to make them angry. Femi lowered her head and stopped struggling. Whatever Alex was planning, he had better make sure it was worth it.

"Bring them." The man ordered secondly.

Femi was brought around by the two men and forced to walk past Acorn's body. She turned her head away and refused to look; it was too upsetting. Femi was a real animal person, and to see an innocent animal get killed... it broke her heart. Femi was led to the front of the house, with Alex right behind her, and taken to the porch. The other men loaded into the house and Femi was pulled in afterwards. It seemed as though every single person was waiting in the entrance hall. From what Femi could estimate, there were about forty men in black lined up around the room, just standing there. Femi was dragged into the center of the room and held tightly by the men so she couldn't get away. Alex was kept right beside her. Femi looked around at all of the men with burning fury and fear in her eyes. She then spotted Carter, next to Jonathan, Moss and his friend, being held captive by other men.

"Carter!" Femi gasped, and struggled again.

Carter frowned at her and also tried to yank himself free. They attempted to do so until the sound of clicking footsteps entered the room. Femi paused and looked ahead. Who was it? Her eyes locked onto the doorway of the living room, and after waiting for what seemed to be forever, a woman dressed in a black attire entered the hall. She had a black snake wrapped around her neck that made Jonathan lean back in distaste. Femi's face paled at the sight of the woman, and when her wide eyes met with her dark ones, her heart gave an odd, warm boom...

_Femi was sitting at her golden mirror with a golden comb in her hand. She brought the comb round to her long, black hair and stroked it through all the way to the end. As she stared at herself in the mirror, a ghostly face appeared staring back at her. It was transparent, so that she could still see her own face, but the new countenance staring at her was definitely different. Femi continued brushing her hair as though it wasn't even there. To the Femi in this vision, it really wasn't... But to the part of Femi that was watching and taking in the vision, she was._

Femi blinked rapidly and her lips parted in disbelief. The woman who she had just seen in the mirror was now standing before her. Who was she? Why was she in her head? Femi had never seen her before in her life. Alex, however, suddenly took a change in attitude. He began struggling angrily within the grasp of the men detaining him. Femi tore her eyes away from the alluring woman, who was now walking towards them, and glanced over at Alex. He looked furious.

"What the hell are _you_ doing here??" He spat.


	22. Truth Be Told Pt 1

The woman used her free, black-gloved hand to push back the spotted veil that was hanging over her face. She smirked darkly and stroked her snake again.

"It's good to see you, too, young Alex -- well... not so young anymore." She said, eyeing him up and down.

"_You're_ the one who's been chasing us?!" He snarled.

The woman gave a flattered chuckle "Indeed. And I must say, Alex, you really did make it quite difficult. It's as though you didn't want us to meet."

Alex smirked "You're a quick one, aren't you, Meela."

The woman, Meela, stopped smiling and her eyes iced over with anger. She looked him up and down with disgust and turned her attention onto Femi. She stiffened once more. Meela's eyes were replaced with a dreamy excitement and she walked straight up to her.

"I've been searching for you for a _very_ long time, little girl. My, aren't you a pretty one..." She whispered.

Femi was getting rather annoyed with everyone calling her a little girl. She was nineteen for crying out loud. Not nine. Femi looked the woman up and down in confusion and leant away from her.

"Why are you doing this?" She whispered "What do you want?"

Meela smiled and reached a hand out to stroke Femi's cheek. She then paused for a moment, and turned Femi's head from side to side, observing her.

"Did your father ever tell you _why_ he became a Historian?" She asked delicately.

Jonathan and Carter raised an eyebrow and exchanged their confused looks with each other. What did this woman possibly know about Brian that his two children didnt?

Femi narrowed her eyes "What are you talking about?"

Meela tilted her head to the side "Tell me, Alex... did this girl inform you of the visions she has?"

Alex looked over at Femi in confusion "_Visions_?"

Femi looked over at him worriedly "No, I -- they're not... I"-

Meela laughed "Aw, would you look at this. It seems your little girlfriend has been hiding secrets from you, Alex."

Femi shook her head pleadingly at Alex. The last thing Femi wanted was for him to find out about her visions. But... one thing that Femi couldn't understand: how did Meela know about them?

Alex glared out at Meela in anger. Femi struggled once more, just for the chance that she might be set free. Meela pulled her hand back from Femi's face and stroked her snake again. Femi just watched her angrily.

"Don't you ever wonder why you keep seeing what you do?... What these memories are from?" She whispered.

Femi's eyelids flickered worriedly "They're not memories. They're just..."-

Meela raised her eyebrows "Hmm? What else could they possible be?"

Femi tore her eyes away from Meela and hung her head low. Meela giggled in amusement at Femi's distress and leant forwards to whisper in her ear. Alex struggled angrily; he didn't like how testy this woman was getting.

"Your father didn't become a Historian simply because he enjoyed it. He began enjoying it, after you were born. And why?... Because you were no ordinary infant." Meela explained.

"That's a rotten lie!" Carter chuckled "Our father was a Historian before either of us were born."

Meela slowly looked over her shoulder and at Carter. She narrowed her impatient eyes, and gave a nod to the man holding him. Carter suddenly received a hard punch in the stomach, and bent over with a pained grunt.

Femi gasped and began struggling again "Stop it!"

Meela sighed and turned back round indifferently. She flicked some of her hair back and shook her head. Smiling again, she tapped Femi's nose, who turned her head away angrily.

"You're a special girl, Femi. That's why your father became who he is now. Pity, really, how our parents constantly feel the need to hide the truth from us for our own 'protection" She laughed and looked over at her snake "No... all it does is hold off the pain of reality."

"What reality? What are you talking about??" Femi gasped.

Meela remained smiling, and finally looked at her again "Do you believe in reincarnation?"

Femi shook her head in confusion "What?"

"Reincarnation. Being born again." Meela explained.

"Meela, what the hell are you gettin' at??" Alex spat.

"Patience, O'Connell" Meela growled, and then brought her attention back onto Femi "I ask you this because you, Femi, are a prime subject of this mystical happening, in a yet-to-be investigated form."

Meela's voice was growing softer, and harsher, and her eyes were filling with dreamy excitement as she gazed at Femi. Femi just stared back at her with confused, nervous eyes - what on earth was this woman talking about??

"You have the blood... the royalty... the conscience... the split-soul of that which can activate the Sadem Trah." Meela whispered.

Femi stared into Meela's eyes, and her heart began beating wildly again. Meela kept smiling in awe at Femi whilst her watering eyes flickered all over her face. This couldn't be true. It didn't make any sense! It was _insane_! But then again... what was Femi doing on this mission if it was all insane?

"_You_ are the artefact we have all been searching for" Meela whispered, and once again, brought her hand out to stroke Femi's cheek "When the Pharaoh created his army, locking the Sadem Trah away wasn't safe enough for him. He needed something more. Something... like you."

"Me?" Femi whispered, her voice trembling "What... am I?"

Meela smiled "The Guardian."

Alex narrowed his eyes at the two of them as he thought over what Meela was saying. The Guardian of the chamber in which the Sadem Trah was kept. The spiritual connection between the Guardian and the Sadem Trah was always alive, even when the Pharaoh and the Guardian died, and the Sadam Trah was long forgotten. The bond was never broken. And now, so many centuries later... the Guardian's essence had been regenerated in another. Femi's eyelids jogged softly as she stared so harshly at Meela with her eyes wide and shocked. Carter watched, still hunched over, with an expression of sadness and disbelief crossing his face, and Jonathan... well, Jonathan was Jonathan at the end of the day.

"Bloody hell!" He gasped, breaking the tense silence.

Meela brought her hand away from Femi "I have been waiting for this day for a _very_ long time, and now, with your memories, I will finally locate the chamber of the Sadem Trah... and your blood - awaken my army of corpses."

Meela leant away from Femi, and Femi lowered her eyes to let them wander over the pale floor in her strain of unsettling dismay. Alex was now watching Meela with narrowed slits for eyes. This woman was just the worst. Femi, however, was far too stunned to be thinking any insults about her...

Femi was the Guardian of the Sadem Trah? No! That was impossible! It couldn't be!... Femi shook her head and shifted her feet. She wouldn't accept this. She wouldn't!

"You're insane! I have never heard such nonsense in my life..." She whispered lowly.

Meela narrowed her eyes "Do you dare insult my words?"

Femi snickered bravely "Your words are worthless to me. You would have better luck leaping off of a building and surviving than my believing you - then again, you could always test that out."

Meela's hand was quick to reach out and slap Femi across the cheek "Don't you understand the gift you have been granted with?! How _dare_ you insult it so!"

Alex and Carter lost their tempers and started struggling madly. The men holding them were stumbling here and there as they tried to restrain them.

"Don't you touch her, you ugly witch!" Carter yelled.

Meela peered over her shoulder at Carter and smiled faintly "Witch?... Not quite."

Femi slowly lifted her head back up and glared out at Meela with her cheek burning. Alex glanced down at her and back out at Meela. This had gone on for long enough. Meela sighed tiredly and turned around, walking away from them both.

"I've had enough of this pointless arguing. It's wasting my valuable time. Where is the Diamond Heart?!"

Femi and Alex glanced at each other with the same determination in their eyes. When Meela was met with a reply of complete silence, she spun around with a furious blaze in her eyes. She strutted to Alex and punched a hard blow to his stomach, making him grunt and flinch over.

"_Stop it_!" Femi yelled.

Meela smiled sadistically down at him "Tell me where it is. I have had enough of your childish games."

Alex peered up at her and scoffed breathlessly "Kiss... my... ass."

Meela inhaled a deep, agitated breath. She gave Alex another spiteful punch in the face before turning and marching across the room towards Carter and Alex. Femi bent down and peered round at Alex's face; he had a bleeding lip.

"Are you alright?" She whispered.

Meela stopped in front of Jonathan and smiled sarcastically. Jonathan laughed nervously and looked around hopefully.

"If I'd have known I was going to be center of attention I would have dressed for the occasion." He stupidly shared with everyone.

Meela rolled her eyes and removed the snake from around her neck. She held it out towards Jonathan and he yelped nervously. Femi and Alex moved their attention out onto them. This was getting bad.

"You know my friend, don't you? I remember just how well the two of you got along." Meela taunted him.

Jonathan leant away in disgust "N-No, no, that must have been another friend. Someone along the same _species_ as me."

"Where is the Diamond Heart?" Meela ordered impatiently.

Jonathan laughed again and held his finger out as far as he could "Uh -- well, you see, I... I actually don't"--

Meela brought the head of the snake right up to Jonathan's left eye. He shouted out in fear and tried to lean back, but the man holding him grabbed the back of his head to keep him in position. The snake flicked its tongue out and lapped it at his eyelashes.

"One last chance... what will it be? The Diamond Heart, or your eye?" She snarled.

"Aright, alright! It's in Femi's room! She took it there when we went to our rooms!!" He cried out.

Femi's eyes widened in despair and she shook her head. Alex grunted tiredly and looked away. He knew Jonathan wouldn't have been able to withstand her threats. Meela smirked in satisfaction and wrapped her snake back around her neck.

"Go!" She shouted.

Five men turned and ran across the hall and into the room opposite the living room. Femi cursed herself for leaving the red bag in the bathroom with her clothes. Meela turned away from Jonathan and paced back across the room to wait for the Diamond Heart to be brought back to her. Jonathan looked over at Carter with a guilty frown.

"Sorry, old chap... my eye." He muttered.

Carter nodded "It's fine, Johnny boy. You did what you had to."

Alex licked the corner of his bloody lip and lifted his head up "So... you've found the Parallel Stars."

Meela raised an impressed eyebrow at Alex "You've been doing your homework."

Alex nodded "So you have, then. Or else you wouldn't be bothering with the Diamond Heart."

Meela stared at Alex with monotonous eyes until she gave a fragile smirk and turned away. She was toying with their curiosity. They all wanted to know so badly if she was almost near succession. But she wasn't going to tell them anything.

Something caught Alex's attention out of the corner of his eye and he _just_ caught Moss walk past the open doorway behind him in the reflection of the mirror on the wall. Alex tensed up and casually looked around at Meela's men; no one had noticed. Alex snapped his eager eyes back onto Meela as she paced the hall. He had to do something to hold up a distraction. To give Moss a chance to do whatever it was he was planning on.

Alex snapped his eager eyes back onto Meela as she paced the hall. He had to do something to hold up a distraction. To give Moss a chance to do whatever it was he was planning on.

"So... what's got you all excited and trying to play the nasty villain again, Meela?" Alex suddenly spoke out.

Meela looked round at him and raised her eyebrows. Alex nudged his head up and smirked.

"What's got you driving to destroy the earth and all humanity within it, this time?" He asked in sarcasm.

Meela narrowed her eyes and thundered towards Alex "For centuries, my love and I were forced to be apart! How _dare_ you question my ways in such a disrespectful manner!"

"I was just asking a question, lady, sheesh. It's not like I told you your thighs are too fat or your wrinkles are showing." He teased.

Femi glanced back and forth from the two of them in worry. Alex was really pushing her buttons. So what if Alex could defend himself easily in a one-on-one with her, but Meela was in control now, and she had about thirty men who were willing to do her bidding. Femi had to intervene.

"S-s-so why, then??" Femi gasped, just as Meela went to step towards Alex "What does your tragic love have to do with this?"

Meela stopped walking and looked over at Femi. Alex stole a glimpse of the reflection in the mirror; Moss was nowhere to be seen. Meela watched Femi with adjudging eyes, and after a moment, turned away and paced away from her.

"Those bastard O'Connell's... they _always_ got in our way. Prevented us from being together. Finally, our love was taken from us permanently. I had no way to bring him back."

Carter snickered in sarcasm "Someone get the violins..."

Jonathan chuckled under his breath with Carter and they lowered their heads. Fortunately, Meela hadn't heard their cheeky comment.

"A broken heart is the worst pain for anyone to endure -- and I shall no longer allow this world to go unpunished for how it has pulled my love away from me. I shall watch it die under my command for all it has done." She laughed.

Femi raised an eyebrow "You're getting revenge on the world because you failed to bring back Imhotep?"

Meela, spinning round, marched at Femi in aggressive strides, and Femi jumped back with a gasp whilst Alex and Carter struggled to defend her. Meela stopped right in front of Femi and allowed her snake to glide onto her shoulders and around her neck. Femi was perfectly unaffected. She kept her furious, frightened eyes connected with Meela's.

"To use the army, the one who controls them... is granted one wish, and one wish only... and we all know what _my_ wish is going to be."

Femi gasped and Meela smiled proudly. She took her snake back and caressed it lovingly, leaning back. Alex's eyes narrowed and he gave a stubborn struggle. He had never heard anything about a wish being granted.

This was bad news.


	23. Truth Be Told Pt 2

"My love and I will finally be as one, and together, we shall watch this world perish for what it has put the two of us through." She hissed.

Jonathan blinked rather cluelessly and looked around at the men holding him "Um... correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't she leave him to die in the Temple those years back?..."

The man holding him yanked his arm in warning, and Jonathan flinched innocently. He nodded and held one of his hands out.

"Alright, alright... I was only asking" He grunted "... Even if _she_ did leave her hubby to burn in bloody hell..." He muttered under his breath.

Alex attempted to struggle within the grip of his captivator as Meela's last words ran over in his mind. She was going to bring Imhotep back. Again...

There -- in the mirror! Alex suddenly stopped struggling again and watched Moss creep through the porch in the reflection of the mirror on the wall. He quickly hid himself behind the front door and waited. What Alex managed to notice were the large, black bottles held in each of his hands. They were smoke bombs.

"How can you even still feel for that crusty old thing anyyway?" Alex snickered "You don't have Anuk-Su-Namun's soul anymore." Alex snickere, trying to keep Meela busy.

Meela snickered "That shows just how narrow-minded you people are. You could never understand the strength of true love which has travelled across time. Across the Universes. And still, forever will never be long enough for what we have."

"What a coincidence, really" Alex growled "Because you won't have forever."

With that, Moss suddenly jumped out from behind the door and launched the smoke bombs high into the air and across the room. Everyone's eyes were so glued to Moss through his startling arrival that no one realised he had thrown them until they cracked down into the ground and exploded. The two of them delivered the thick, red smoke that they had stored within their fragile bodies within no time, and already, Meela and her men were bobbling about blindly. The men holding Femi released her and she was knocked to the ground by one of their panicked passing. Femi remained on the floor with squinted eyes as she tried to see through the thick smoke that was all around her. All she could hear were loud footsteps and shouts.

A pair of hands suddenly gripped onto her shoulders and she jumped, gasping. She whipped her head round to see Alex's narrowed eyes staring down at her.

"Stay close to me, got it??" He shouted.

Femi nodded obediently and Alex helped her stand up. He turned around and gripped onto her hand just as tightly as she gripped back. He waited a second before starting to move through the smoke and ingeniously weaving in and out of every one of Meela's men that stumbled by. Femi's head was whipping left and right in a complete panic as she tried to keep herself from being touched by anyone other than Alex. She soon started adjusting to it. Alex finally reached the wall where Jonathan and Carter had been being held prisoners.

"Jonathan! Carter, where are you??" Alex called out.

"We're he"-- Jonathan broke out into a few small coughs "O-over here, Alex!"

Femi looked round and eased over to her left. She waved her free hand in front of her to clear the smoke and spotted Carter and Jonathan huddled together near the corner.

"There!" She shouted and pointed at arms length.

Alex followed her guidance and found the two of them. He nodded and led Femi carefully along the wall towards them. When they reached them, Femi threw herself onto Carter and wrapped her arms around him.

"I'm so glad you're alright!" She sighed.

Carter, who had been rather startled by Femi's sudden appearance, soon relaxed and hugged her back. They weren't given much time to reflect upon their meeting, for Alex was quick to move them along.

"When I say run - run. Don't even think about looking back or slowing down for anything, you go it?" Alex told them.

They all nodded like frightened children. Femi took Alex's hand once more, and Carter took hers, whilst Jonathan took his arm. Alex turned to face the doorway that was now almost visible through the smoke; it was fading, and far too quickly for their own benefit.

"GO!" Alex shouted.

He kicked off into a run as fast as he could and pulled the other three along with him. Femi was, once again, looking left and right worriedly whilst Carter and Jonathan were bumping into many of Meela's men and luckily escaping without recognition. Alex moved into the living room, which was slowly taking in the smoke from the entrance hall, and everyone broke the link of their line to run around the furniture.

"Where are we going??" Femi panted.

"Just follow me!" Alex called back.

He ran to the other side of the room and ran out of the empty doorway. Femi came afterwards and found herself in a short, empty hallway. Carter came to a skidding stop and bumped into the back of her, and Jonathan ran straight into him in turn. Femi fell into the wall opposite her and turned around to give Carter's arms and chest a few wild slaps.

"Whatch where you're going!" She snapped.

Carter flinched back "Easy, Femi!"

"Come _on_!" Alex shouted from the end of the hall.

Femi rolled her eyes at her hopeless brother and turned left to run towards Alex. Alex pushed aside all importance of their situation for just one second and watched Femi running towards him in her dressing gown. She looked so amusing. He quickly shrugged the entertaining thought away and waited for Carter and Alex to join them both, and then ran around the corner of the hallway.

Meela, coughing and wiping her hair, stepped out into the hallway just in time to see Jonathan disappear from sight. She narrowed her eyes furiously and marched off in that direction.

"You can run, but you can't hide." She growled.

Alex ran down the hallway, the other three right behind him, with nothing but the moonlight beaming down through the windows to guide him. Single, wooden doors flashed past all of them on the wall to their left, but they found themselves continuing. Femi's hair swished behind her freely and her bare feet patted on the ground; she felt as light as a feather with nothing but her undergarments and dressing gown clinging to her body. All she was focussing upon was the silver back of Alex.

"How much farther??" Carter breathed out.

Alex ignored Carter's complaining and turned around a corner on his right. He slowed his running into comfortable jogging and glanced over his shoulder to check that they had all followed; his eyes fell upon Femi and he smirked. Every time he looked at her now, she was either fumbling with her wild hair or the string of her gown. Alex turned back round and came to a pair of stain-glass doors, where he found one of them already open ajar, allowing the chilly wind to enter in. He pulled it wide open and the outdoor air flew at all three of them like a blizzard. Why was it so strong? Femi held up her hand in front of her eyes protectively.

"What _is_ that??" Femi shouted.

Alex stepped out into the darkness "Our ticket to Turkey!"

Femi's brow creased curiously and Carter led her through the doorway from behind. Femi felt the ground change from smooth marble to icy grass. As she moved further across the new outdoor grounds, the sound of an engine grew louder and louder. Her eyes finally adjusted to the new light, and looking around (constantly wiping her dancing hair aside), she recognised the area to be a huge field. She looked straight ahead and gasped at the sight of a yellow plane waiting for them with its rotors spinning above its long body. Femi stopped running for a second to admire the sight of rescue. She had never felt so grateful! Carter quickly pushed her along again and rolled his eyes to Jonathan. Alex waited, crouched down, next to the open door of the helicopter and watched the three of them running towards him.

His eyes then relaxed in realisation and he walked out from under the helicopter's propeller arms so he could stand up straight. Someone was behind them. Moving quickly.

"Run faster!" He shouted.

Just as Alex's voice echoed out and reached the three of them, Femi felt her hair catch on something and she was jerked backwards with a sharp scream. Carter and Jonathan spun around and found Femi being held back by Meela. Femi whinged angrily and reached her hand back to free her hair, but Meela had her too tightly.

"Let _go_ of me!" She shouted.

Meela giggled into her ear with sarcasm "You didn't say 'please'."

Meela then spun Femi round to look at her and punched her hard in the face. Femi squeaked and lost concentration on keeping a balance upon the slippery grass beneath her feet. At seeing Femi stumble down onto the ground and land on her back, Meela smiled. She clicked her tongue impatiently and stepped towards Femi in an intention knock her out for good -- But then, without warning, Carter suddenly tackled her to the ground! Femi was pulled up onto her feet by Jonathan where she looked down at her brother as he wrestled with Meela.

"Get her, Carter! Show her what you're made of - good man!" Jonathan cheered.

Meela laughed and suddenly rolled on top of Carter. She curled both of her hands into fists again and started punching him in the face with single swings. Femi ripped away from Jonathan's hands and ran into Meela so that she was pushed off of Carter with as much strength as she could muster up. Femi grabbed Carter's hands and helped him to stand up, but as they turned to run, Meela grabbed Femi's ankle and she toppled straight down into the grass again, face-down. Femi growled and rolled over to sit up, but Meela pounced on her like a starving lion. Femi screamed again and reached up to grab Meela's hair beside her temples, and Meela did the same to Femi. They both started yanking each other's heads up and down - only, Femi's head was constantly slamming back down into the cushioned grass.

Carter stood up and stumbled back next to Jonathan with a bloody nose and a fat lip. He wiped the end of his nose and looked down to see a load of blood shimmering in the moonlight. He stared back out at Femi and Meela.

"I think Femi can handle herself, don't you?" Carter asked with a tone of innocence.

Jonathan glanced nervously at the blood pouring from Carter's nose and nodded vigorously "Oh yeah, definitely. She doesn't need us."

Alex suddenly flashed past the two of them and was at Femi's rescue. He grabbed Meela by her shoulders and flung her off from Femi; both women managed to pull out a small chunk of hair within each hand as they were parted with such force. Meela landed on the ground with a loud grunt and rolled over a few times from the impulse of being thrown so violently. Alex pulled Femi up onto her feet and she threw Meela's hair away with the wind with an exhausted grunt. Meela scrambled up to her height and went to go for Femi again, but Alex turned around and, with a sigh of regret, punched her hard in the face. Meela fell down instantly.

Alex whipped his head round to glare at Femi "See what you make me do??"

Femi's eyes widened "It's not as though I held a gun to your head and _forced_ you to do that!"

Alex rolled his eyes and grabbed onto Femi's arm to pull her back towards the plane with him. Jonathan and Carter ran behind them and glanced back to see a number of Meela's men appearing at the doorway of the house; they spotted the two of them running and started heading across the field in their direction.

"I think we should run faster!" Jonathan shouted.

Carter nodded "Faster!"

The two of them speeded up so that they exceeded past Femi and Alex with no hesitation at all. Femi and Alex exchanged confused looks and then peered over their shoulders; at seeing the black figures proceeding towards them, they too speeded up.

Jonathan was the first at the plane and climbed up through the open door with as much grace as a drunken monkey. He fell onto his knees and shuffled round to help Carter up so that he wasn't granted with as much bad luck as he was. The two of them fell into the comfort of the passenger seats to catch their breaths and digest the feel of safety once more. Alex and Femi shortly appeared by the doorway and Alex literally folded Femi over his shoulder and then lay her down on the floor of the passenger area. Femi sat up with an offended gasp and was about to express her anger in words when he jumped up so that he landed on all fours, hovering over her; the passenger area was so small, that he really had no other choice but to do so unless he wanted to be left behind. Their eyes locked together and Femi felt her pale cheeks blush. Alex stared down at her face, his eyes glancing left and right from her own expecting ones. What was going on?

Jonathan and Carter raised an eyebrow and looked at each other to exchange awkward looks. Now wasn't the time to be acting so oddly around each other.

"Hellooooooo!" Carter yelled "Are you drunk? Close the bloody door!"

Alex and Femi both jumped and looked back at the open doorway. Alex leant up so that he was sitting on Femi's waist and slid the door across so that it slammed securely.

"We're all set, Moss! Let's go!" Alex shouted.

"Yessir!" Moss called back from the driver's seat.

Alex awkwardly looked back down at Femi, and after receiving a questioning blink from her, he stood himself up. He held his hand out to help her get up, but she acted as though it wasn't even there and climbed up on her own. He smirked to himself and ignored her sulking mannerism. The plane lifted up from the ground and high into the air as it turned and headed off into the mysterious night, leaving the unconscious Meela and her men back down below.

Femi sat herself down in the seat next to her brother, with Jonathan opposite her, and sighed tiredly. She rubbed the back of her sore head from where Meela had smacked it down onto the ground. That woman was supposed to be the one who helped Imhotep almost take over the world _twice_ already, and her fighting technique was a couple of punches and pulling hair? Femi relaxed in her seat and gazed out of the window at the dots of light that passed from the country houses beneath them.

"Well" Carter sighed as he dabbed at his fat lip "That was a bloody close call, I'll say."

Alex tugged on his waist-jacket "Let's just be glad that we got out. We're lucky to have gotten away so easily."

"Yeah... Bloody lucky." Jonathan agreed.

Femi sighed and shook her head once "But we lost."

Carter narrowed his eyes unsurely "So... that means"--

Femi turned her sorrowful eyes back onto the window "We've lost. Everything's over... our journey... the world... and daddy."

Jonathan took a sharp breath of air in and furrowed his eyebrows "You left the Diamond Heart in your room."

Femi gave a petulant flick of her head to whip some curls back from her eyes "Yes. In the red bag, in the bathroom."

"D'you mean... this bag?" He asked.

Femi moved her eyes onto him, across from her. He reached into the inside of his dark shirt and, to Femi's amazement, pulled out the red bag.

He looked down at it in contemplation and then held it up to Femi. Femi's jaw dropped and she let out a startled laugh. Alex smiled at her reaction, and Carter gave a soft chuckle. Femi sat straight up in her seat and took the bag with a number of new, excited giggles.

"Jonathan, you're a bloody genius!" She exclaimed.

Jonathan sat up straight with flattery "Well, I dunno' about that... I just"--

Femi threw herself across the isle and wrapped her arms around Jonathan's neck. She planted a long, hard kiss upon his cheek and then hugged him again. Jonathan stared at the seat opposite him in surprise and tried to ingest what had just happened. Alex looked out the window carelessly...

Femi sat back in her seat with a gleeful sigh, two pitches higher than usual, and beamed over at her brother. Jonathan tugged on his shirt and rolled his head from left to right.

"Yes. Yes, I suppose I am a 'genius'." He agreed proudly.

Femi giggled and looked out the window with another sigh. Now that she knew they still had the Diamond Heart, she felt almost happy enough to believe that everything was perfectly fine. That her father hadn't been kidnapped, and that she wasn't having to travel across the world with her brother to confront battle after battle.

But she was.

And, with Meela's words ringing in the back of her mind, Femi soon returned into her quiet, reflective self. The relief she had felt wasn't from the improvement of anything, but the fact that they all managed to escape. Because nothing was getting better.

It was just getting harder.

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_**Alright, now, because of an awfully truthful comment I recieved from a reader on this site, I'm beginning to see their point of view. My story is probably becoming far too similar to The Mummy movies, and so, I want to announce that although some of you may feel that way, I have tried very hard to make this story my own, as well as adventurous at the same time. The Mummy movies have already taken most of the action ideas, leaving hardly any left for me to use, so believe me when I say that I am trying. I assure you that after a few more episodes, things will become a little wilder, and heated:D Thank you to all those who have been supportive of me, though, seeing as this is one of the first fanfics I have ever posted onto such a professional site. I'm glad you're enjoying it!**_


	24. Flight Landing

The propellers of the aeroplane vibrated into the passenger section like a pair of fast-flapping wings. The engine hummed softly and the air hung in a warm, peaceful silence. It was as though none of them had felt such calm and tranquillity for years. It was early morning now. At least seven hours had passed since take off, and only two people out of the whole group were awake: Alex and Carter. Femi was leaning against Carter's side with his arm wrapped around her shoulders protectively, and he was staring out of the window just like Alex was. Jonathan had his cheek pressed against the window and was snoring airily in his deep sleep, fogging up the window.

Everything was so... still.

The sky was painted with clouds of oranges, yellows and pinks of a new dawn and the sun, behind them, reflected brilliantly upon the large lake that they were gliding over. The water sparkled as though a million divine jewels sat on the bed beneath it, just waiting to be found. The sight, over all, was just breathtaking. The water was so still that it was as though a person could walk straight across it.

The dreamy silence was calmly broken when Femi, cuddled into her brother, started whimpering and sighing a few muttered words of distress in her sleep. Both Alex and Carter tore their eyes away from the morning's horizon and looked down at Femi curiously. Her eyebrows were furrowed and her hand was clenching around the front of Carter's shirt. She was having a nightmare.

Carter carefully pulled her fist from his shirt and she woke up in a soft haze. Her exhausted eyes flickered open for no more than just a split second before she released a new, calm sigh and snuggled back down into her brother to continue sleeping. But even though her eyes had opened for such a short amount of time, it seemed twice as long for Alex, for her eyes had met directly with his.

Carter looked away from Femi and started toying with her hair tiredly; Alex however, watched her in thought and listened to the humming of the plane's propellers and engine.

"How long has she been having them?" He suddenly spoke out.

Carter blinked and looked over at him in confusion. Being broken from the gentle trance he had been enraptured in, he had to take a few seconds to restore his sense of cognisance. Alex inclined his head towards Femi and cleared his throat. Carter peered down at her and twirled one of her curls around his finger.

"The visions, or whatever they're called." Alex added.

Carter raised his eyebrows carelessly "I dunno' what you're talking about."

Alex rolled his eyes and put his right foot up on the edge of the seat opposite him. He tilted his head back up and smirked.

"The secret's out, Carter. Meela wasn't exactly shy back there in the hall. I saw the look on Femi's face when she let it out. It was real." He sighed.

Carter and Alex then entered what was very much like a staring competition. Carter's eyes were full of deciding stubbornness, whilst Alex's contained knowledge and curiosity. Carter knew that Alex was aware of it all. He knew Alex had caught him. He couldn't hide it much longer, and nor could Femi. Accepting that fact, Carter released a sigh of defeat and lowered his head in surrender.

"Yeah..." He muttered "It was."

Alex nodded "Care to explain, then?"

Carter lowered his eyes onto Femi's sleeping face again. Her skin was glowing softly in the fiery sunrise; she looked so peaceful. She had been through so much over the past few years. She was so broken when their mother died - not that Carter wasn't affected by her death, too, but... Femi... she took it in a strange way. It was as though she turned into a completely different person. She was so collected and cold on the outside, yet on the inside, she was screaming insanely and burning hot.

"Ever since I can remember, Femi had always had these... these moments where she'd sort of just _zone_ out. We'd call her, but she wouldn't answer. It looked like she was in a trance, staring off into space. She'd come back when we shouted loud enough, though" Carter began, stroking Femi's black curls back from her dirty, bruised cheek "I asked her what was going on, but she wouldn't tell me. It was only when our mum died that Femi let me in and told me what was going on. Trust me, mate, I was just as shocked as you were when she told me."

Alex looked at Femi with Carter. The two of them fell into a bemused, awed silence whilst they watched her peacefully sleeping. Alex knew there was so much more to her, from the moment he had heard her first words... whatever they had meant:

_"You insensate, unceremonious, parsimonious, nonsensical, presumptuous, temerarious BAFFOONS!"_

Alex smirked tenderly at the memory and shook his head. But no matter the humour it brought to him, the feeling of curiosity and betrayal didn't go away.

"When were either of you planning on telling me?" Alex asked.

Carter looked up at him and squinted his eyes "Oh yeah, right, sorry, but we didn't think to tell you that Femi experienced strange visions whilst we were running for our lives and being shot at all the time."

Alex wasn't pleased with Carter's sarcasm. Now was when he needed to take things seriously. Alex leant forwards and rested his arms on his knees.

"No, but I thought you could at least mention the fact that she had them whilst we were sitting happily on the train, or in Moss' Manor. It's not like it's something mundane and completely normal - didn't you think it had anything to do with what was happening?... Didn't you stop to think that maybe, just _maybe_, the men were after Femi all this time because of her visions?" Alex whispered harshly.

Alex had caught Carter out on this one. He was right, and Carter knew it. He didn't really know how to reply to Alex's question other than just by looking away and back down at Femi. He couldn't really answer it. There was no reason as to why he hadn't thought about it... it was just sheer carelessness.

"I couldn't tell you, mate" Carter sighed to Alex, finally "It wasn't up to me. I knew Femi would tell you when she was ready."

"Well, you just have." Alex replied, leaning back again.

"Only because you'd already figured it out. It wasn't like it was a secret anymore, really - even you said it." Carter snickered.

Alex smirked gently "Relax, buddy. I'm not gonna' get you in any trouble with your sister..."

Carter accepted Alex's genuine words and looked back down at Femi. Carter hadn't _actually_ betrayed her, anyhow. She never really told him not to tell Alex, and besides, Alex was already onto it. It was like he had said: _it wasn't as though it was a secret anymore_.

"After our old mum died, Femi changed completely. She's the biggest mystery you'll ever meet, and yet the most obvious gal' at the same time." Carter snickered lightly.

Alex gazed out of the window at the entrancing sunset "She's quite a something, I'll agree on that... but I'm not quite sure _what_."

Carter chuckled under his breath "One minute you want to strangle her, and the next... well, yeah."

Carter gave a light sniff and then cleared his throat. Glancing over at him, Alex recognised a sense of discomfort coming off of him. Carter obviously wasn't used to mushy moments, even for his own sister. But that's how Alex had perceived him from the very beginning. He was, in many ways, very much like his silly uncle Jonathan. Deep down, he loved, but hardly knew how to show and handle it.

"Just make sure you keep a keen eye on her" Alex spoke out to Carter; this time, his voice was more serious, and yet so tender "This journey is only gonna' get harder now."

Carter stared over at Alex thoughtfully. Even though Alex had just discovered that Femi and Carter had been hiding her 'talent' from him this whole time, he was still acting kindly towards them. Well, Femi. Carter finally gave a nod of understanding, and Alex looked away in satisfaction.

"I'll look after her; don't you worry, mate" Carter sighed gently "I just can't seem to get my head around what Meela said... guardian?"

Alex 's eyes filled with a philosophical bitterness "... I'll believe anything at this rate You didn't see what I saw those years back."

Carter tilted his head to the side curiously. Alex watched the smears of fiery colours dance across the sky and brought his elbow up to rest it upon the ledge. Sitting his chin upon his fist, he sighed heavily.

"If you want my advice - forget reality. Right here. Cuz' it won't be doing you any good on this journey." He deeply sighed.

Carter glanced own at Femi's sleeping face, again, and many thoughts began rushing through his mind. He and Alex fell into another warm, relaxed silence, and went back to admiring the fiery sky. The sleeping ones, however, refused to make a single peep. As though it was their last chance to stay in their own peaceful worlds. Their last chance to appreciate the meaning of the word 'practical'.

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_"Femi..." A dreamy voice whispered. _

_Femi sat up from the soft, sweet-smelling ground beneath her and looked around. She was in a field, that was clear, which seemed to stretch on for eternity. But it was in black and white. No colours. The sky was a blinding white, whilst the flowers around her were grey. She was the only thing in colour. Femi looked around cluelessly for a moment and then climbed up onto her feet. The wind blew softly and danced with her curly hair and white dress._

_"Where am I?" She whispered._

_"Femi." The voice spoke again._

_Femi blinked and peered over her shoulder. There, sitting on the ground with the flowers swaying hauntingly around it was a small fox. Femi slowly turned around to face it and tilted her head to the side questionably. The fox was a golden colour, with beady yellow eyes and a bushy tale._

_"Hello again." She muttered._

_The fox just stared happily up at her. Femi listened to the strict silence whilst pondering over the sight of the little mammal. Yes, Femi had seen it before, in her last dream. The dream she had back at Alex's' apartment. Femi lowered down into a crouch in front of the fox and stared at it with surveying eyes. The fox just sat there obediently, however._

_"So... what are you doing here?" Femi whispered._

_The fox's ear twitched faintly, and it then turned around and bounded off into the distance. Femi stood up again and watched it become smaller and smaller as it got further and further away, until it existed in her dream no more._

_"Hmmm. How strange." She said to herself._

_"Strange? Femi, wake up will you!" A new voice laughed._

_The world around Femi began to tremble and melt away like water had been thrown upon a freshly painted window. The ground disappeared from beneath Femi and she freely fell down with her eyes closed..._

She opened them again, to find herself in the real world.

"Ah - she lives!" The voice of Carter teased.

Femi sat upright with narrowed, exhausted eyes. A pale light was shining in through the windows of the aeroplane and the warm air was kissing comfortingly at her skin. Femi gave a light yawn and covered her mouth with her finger tips whilst lifting her feet up to stretch her legs.

"Ow - hey." Someone grunted.

Femi jumped and noticed Jonathan sitting on the seat opposite her. Her feet were now in his lap. Femi jumped in embarrassment and quickly brought them back down with an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, Jonathan." She whispered.

He winked "No worries, my darling" He said, a little too enthusiastically, as he usually did to women he found attractive "You can use me as your foot rest, if you like. Actually, I've got a knick for massages if you"--

"We're here." Alex interrupted tonelessly.

Everyone abandoned the topic of conversation and turned their heads to look out the window. They were currently flying over what Femi presumed was the 'countryside' part of Turkey. Small farm houses were positioned in the large outback, parted a distance from each other, and a long road was running down the middle of them which had a few more cars using it than Femi had expected. It was a deserted area, however. The morning sky was a blue so pale that it could have nearly been cast as white, and the sun was watching the aeroplane from behind, lighting the path ahead. But there wasn't even a single cloud in sight.

Femi finally tore her eyes away from the exotic view and looked over at Alex questionably. He was leaning back in his seat with one foot resting up on the edge of the seat opposite him, whilst the other sat on the ground. His elbow was leaning on the lifted knee and his hand was curled against his cheek, propping his head up so he could stare comfortably out the window.

"Alex, I'm confused" She stated, and he looked over "Why do we have to depart at Turkey and travel by boat to Egypt? Why can't we just fly straight there, I mean, we _do_ have the advantage of a plane, after all."

"Sandstorms. Big ass mothers. They bring down at least four planes a month. Hardly anyone with a brain would consider flying to Egypt." Alex explained with a tender smirk.

Jonathan sighed, and looked to to his nephew "Which explains why your father had to do exactly that, not so many years ago."

Alex snickered at the thought of his dear old dad running into the nearest sign of danger. He always was the venturesome type.

"And don't forget poor old me!" Moss shouted from the front over the loud, grumbling engine of the plane "You can't expect me to fly you all the way to Egypt and come back again!"

Femi felt rather guilty for not considering that issue. She never really thought about it that way. After all, pilots were pilots. She sighed secretively and ran her fingers through her hair to stroke her dark curls back. She scanned her searching eyes around her and spotted her target lying on the floor by her feet. She quickly leant down and picked up the red bag to bring it up into her lap where she knew it was safe. Locking her arms around it, she turned her admiring gaze back out the window to watch the sandy scenery stroll by.

After what seemed to be a few more minutes (when really it was at least fifteen) the aeroplane began to lose altitude as it moved downwards towards the ground. Femi and the others noticed that the plane started to create a circular pattern around a particular, small farmhouse that was innocently waiting for them all. Femi smiled curiously and looked over at Alex.

"Is that the place??" Femi asked excitedly.

"You bet!" Alex replied.

Femi smiled fully and quickly looked back out the smeared window to watch the ground grow closer and closer. When the plane was no more than just ten metres above the ground, a figure came out of the front door of the house and onto the porch. The person walked down the steps and walked onto their non-existent front lawn to watch the plane lower down towards them, holding their hand up before their eyes to stop the dust spraying into them.

The plane finally landed on the ground and the room rocked everyone about inside the passenger section. Jonathan smacked his head against the window, whilst Carter fell onto Femi, who shoved him off with an impatient huff.

"Yeah, thanks for the warning, mate!" Jonathan shouted grumpily back to Moss, rubbing the side of his head.

Alex couldn't help but laugh at his useless uncle. He then turned in his seat and yanked the handle back from the door, and kicked the door itself with his booted foot. It groaned out of place and Alex was left to push it all the way up, and out, so that it cleared a large doorway for everyone to exit out of. Alex leapt down from his seat and landed in a comfortable crouch upon the rocky ground, and then leant up and turned to see the others out. Carter needed no help in exiting, and although Jonathan claimed the same, he still ended up falling flat on all fours as soon as he landed. Femi, being a rather logical thinker, sat herself down on the edge with her legs dangling down and jumped down with no trouble at all. She landed in an elegant position with her arms neatly by her sides and her legs straight. Alex smirked, and she shot him a sarcastic, arrogant look, as though rubbing her successful landing in his face.

"Women." Alex sighed.

He jumped up and pushed the door shut again so that Moss could take off. Femi, Carter and Jonathan ran out from underneath the propellers in a safe crouch so not to get caught by them, and Alex waited behind to bid Moss goodbye. He banged on Moss' window, and Moss looked down at him.

"See ya, buddy!" Alex shouted, miming the words clearly.

Moss nodded with a bright smile and tuck his thumb up in return. Alex gave a single wave before turning and, in a crouch, ran out from underneath the plane's wings and gathered to the side with the others. They all stood with one hand across their brows and their eyes squinted in protection from the blizzard of sand that was blowing up around the plane. It lifted up from the ground and gradually rose higher into the sky. The wind suddenly became much stronger for a moment, and Femi's hair set off in a wild dance around her face, whilst the cloud of sand spread out and settled on the ground around them. Moss gave one last wave out the window to them all, which they all returned gratefully, and Moss glided off into the sky in the direction that they had come from. The four of them remained gazing out at the back of the plane until a sudden, gruff voice interrupted them:

"_Kimsiniz_??"

The four of them whipped around in shock to see who it was. Jonathan was met with the vicious end of a long, silver gun and jerked away and threw his hands up innocently.

"Woah, woah, woah! Hold it!" He shouted.

Alex quickly leant over and pushed the end of the gun down. The man holding it moved his narrowed, old eyes onto him and took in his appearance. Femi glanced back and forth from the two nervously; this man obviously wasn't friendly to strangers.

"I'm Alex O'Connell, son of Evelyn and Rick O'Connell?" He reminded the man.

The man appeared to be in his late forties. He had a feathered beard that was growing grey and had left-over bits of food from last night's meal stuck within it, and a growing moustache. He had dark brown, greying, hair upon his head with a shiny bald path at the top, and his skin was an olive tan and smooth. The irises of his eyes were a chocolate brown, but worn away with tiny red capillaries beginning to show around them in the milky areas. He was wearing a pair of grey, thin trousers and a white, dirty vest that needed obvious cleaning, and a pair of undone black boots. All in all, he looked like a trampy, old farmer.

The man slowly lowered the gun down to his side and stepped towards Alex curiously. Femi, Carter and Jonathan watched them in wary anticipation, whilst Alex just stood his ground.

"O'Connell?" The man repeated in a strong accent.

Alex nodded "That's me."

The man eyed him up and down in inspection with one eye squinted. When he finished taking in his fill, he broke out into a big smile - revealing his crooked, yellowing teeth - and clapped Alex one on the shoulder. He started laughing loudly.

"Why, Alex, I almost didn't recognise you, mate!" He laughed.

Femi's eyes widened, for the man was now suddenly speaking in a perfectly strong English accent. It was pure, and very real. She parted her lips and uttered a few unpredictable consonants in her effort to try and understand what was going on. The man noticed her confused expression and laughed.

"I take it you haven't met many people in hiding." He stated.

He walked past Femi and headed back towards his little farm house, resting his shotgun over his shoulder. Femi tore her eyes away from him and looked to Alex for an explanation. He smirked, and strolled by her.

"Relax, you can trust this guy." He reassured her.

Femi blinked "He's in _hiding_, Alex. Why is he in hiding??"

Alex smiled cockily at her "There's nothing to worry about. He's a friend of mine."

He turned away before she could say anymore and followed the man towards his house. Femi took a deep breath in and walked on after them with a heavy sigh, with Jonathan and Carter right behind her.

"Oh, and that's supposed to make me feel _better_?" She sighed to herself.


	25. It's A Deal

The robust man led the four of them back towards his house and up onto his dusty terrace and swung his front door open. First, there was the big-screened door which screeched open, and then the wooden front door followed, pinning it to the wall. Alex entered, and Femi paused on the porch for a moment. Carter rolled his eyes and pushed her forwards, and she stumbled through the doorway against her own free will. She quickly straightened herself out and looked around. It was a kitchen. Dark, and rather empty, with a wooden table in the middle and three chairs around it. Pots and pans hung from a wooden utensil rack and a number of dirty cups and plates were piled up in the sink. It looked like a modern day kitchen that had been deeply neglected and forgotten, and left in the darkness to turn into something much more... dingy. There was a long, wide window that stretched across the back of the kitchen and filled the room with enough light for everyone to see their way around. Femi felt rather trapped inside it. However, not all was at loss; her nose caught scent of the most delicious, tempting scent she had ever smelt in her life. Salty, meats, cream, spices - everything and anything that made her stomach growl in hunger!

Femi blushed and placed her hand across her stomach with embarrassment. However, Carter's stomach suddenly let out one of its own ravenous squeals, and so did Jonathan's. The man who owned the house turned around from the other side of the table and looked out at his guests. They were obviously starving.

"You're just in luck, my friends!" He laughed.

The man walked across the room and bent over to observe what Femi suddenly recognised to be a cauldron hanging over a small fireplace. He took a thick cloth in his hands before lifting up the black lid and swirling around the silver spoon to mix the substance. He then unhooked the small, iron bucket and brought it out onto the table. He sighed in success and threw the cloth on the side, and then went off to collect some plates. Femi and the others watched the thick steam rise up from within the body of the cauldron. It was teasing them. Taunting them. They were _famished_. Femi gripped the red bag anxiously in her hands whilst keeping her excited eyes upon the black pot. How much longer was she going to be tortured like this?

The sound of plates clattering answered her desperate question. Fives plates skidded across the table and stopped in random places next to each other. Femi looked up at the man, and he smiled, holding five spoons up.

"Chicken stew. My favourite." He announced.

He slowly set out the plates and spoons in their rightful places and ushered Femi and the others to sit down. He then began scooping spoonfuls of stew out onto their plates according to their directions.

Femi smiled tenderly up at him "Thank you for your hospitality, Mr"-- She paused, not knowing his name.

"Just call me Erk." He told her.

"Erk... well, thank you. We haven't eaten a proper meal in a while." She sighed.

"No need to thank me, young lady. I'd be nothing but a scoundrel if I refused good friends a bite to eat - ain't that right, young Alex." He chuckled.

Alex nodded and presented a half-smile through his vigorous chewing. Erk laughed again and finally filled his own plate with enough stew to fill his large stomach. He snatched up the cloth that he had previously used and wrapped it around the handle of the cauldron again. With a little sigh, he heaved it up from the table and set it down next to the sink just behind him. He then brought up a small, wooden stool from under the table and sat down on it in front of his steaming plate.

"Mmm" Carter mumbled "This is delicious."

Erk chuckle and twirled his spoon in his fingers "Made it myself, from my own bred chickens. I never thought it would be so easy, what with having left the City and suddenly finding myself in the middle of some foreign desert."

He chuckled to himself again and began scooping up his stew and loading it into his mouth. Femi was just as engrossed in her food, now. Alex couldn't help glancing up every now and then, however, and noticing how Femi was still upholding her manners at the table. He knew she was just as starving as the rest of them. So why did she care so much about remaining neat and tidy? He would never figure that woman out. Not even if he wished it with the Sadem Trah on raising the Pharaoh's Army from the dead.

"How's your dad, Alex? Still getting himself into trouble as usual?" Erk chuckled with his mouth half-full.

Femi glanced over at Alex at hearing this. Alex stared down at his plate for an extra few seconds that told her he wasn't soft upon the topic. But nonetheless, he still looked up and shook his head.

"You wouldn't recognise him now." He replied.

"You were just a little tyke last time I saw or heard from him. I have to say, it was quite a shock when you suddenly landed on my front lawn in a plane." Erk laughed, looking around at all of them.

Alex sniggered softly "Yeah, sorry about that Erk. Didn't mean to get your gun all prepared for nothing."

"Nah - no worries, kiddo. My gun always likes a bit of excitement every now and then, don't they all?" Erk shrugged.

"Bloody right they do." Jonathan muttered under his breath, thinking back over the past few days of having been constantly shot at.

"What is it you do for a living out here, Mr. Erk?" Femi curiously asked.

Now, she was genuinely trying to make conversation. After all, she had just abruptly arrived upon his land without any notice, and was now eating his food, inside his warm home... It was a sign of appreciation, and respect.

"I work over at the Water Mill. 'Bout ten miles out from here" He explained gladly "Kinda' place like this survives on fresh water. Without it, no crops, no cattle, no nothing."

Femi nodded "How long have you been living here then?"

"Three years now. Not long." He carelessly answered.

Femi raised her eyebrows "Three years? You've settled so quickly. I have to say, my brother and I only just arrived in our City four years ago, and sometimes, I dare say it still feels like I'm a complete stranger."

Alex looked up for a moment and watched Femi and Erk. They had only just met, and already, Femi was beginning a deep conversation that even Alex couldn't create. This girl obviously had a knick for conversations.

"Well, you see, I'm afraid I don't really have much choice but to settle myself down and accept it. I wouldn't be here if I had a choice." Erk sighed.

Femi frowned lightly and glanced over at Alex questionably. She wasn't sure whether to press the subject any further. Alex quickly lowered his gaze in a hope that Femi hadn't seen him watching her. She hadn't. He was safe.

"I'm sure it must be wonderful living here in Turkey" Femi cautiously continued, pausing to take some more stew "What with the peace, and the delightful weather."

"Yeah... it can be." Erk agreed fairly.

He shot Femi a little smile and nodded. She returned a polite smile of her own and then went back to eating the delicious stew. It had the right amount of every ingredient. It felt like she hadn't eaten for years. Jonathan and Carter were behaving like starved puppies with no manners whatsoever, scooping new spoonfuls into their mouths before they could even finish chewing the last amount. Femi shook her head faintly and tried to ignore her embarrassing brother.

Erk looked up again "You folks should stay here tonight, wherever you're going. I've got three spare rooms - I'm sure you and your lady friend here would find it a breath of fresh air to finally have a bed to sh"--

Alex quickly dropped his spoon down onto his plate to interrupt Erk with a small '_cling_' before he could finish the rest of his sentence. Femi stared down at her own plate with blushing cheeks. The two of them both knew exactly what Erk was going to suggest. Jonathan and Carter glanced up at the three of them and quickly continued to pack their mouths with food to stop themselves laughing. It was a rather awkwardly amusing moment, after all.

"We can't stay, Erk" Alex sighed "We came to ask for your help."

Erk raised his eyebrows and looked back and forth from Femi and Alex cluelessly. Had he said something? _She_ looked utterly humiliated, whilst _he_ just looked... impatient. What was so wrong about offering an already made couple to sleep in the same bed together? Heh - must have had 'bedroom problems'. Erk cleared his throat at thinking this and shifted comfortably in his seat.

"And what help would that be, son?" He asked.

Alex looked up at him with serious eyes "We need to get to... Egypt."

Carter and Jonathan stopped stuffing their faces for a moment to watch the scene unfolding before them. Erk gently set his spoon down on his plate and leant back in his chair. He stared thoughtfully at Alex.

"Do you now..." He muttered.

Alex nodded and glanced around at Femi and the other two "We need to get there as soon as possible. We're willing to pay."

Erk looked around at the others. He seemed very introvert at that moment. Very withdrawn. Very curious, however.

"We would really appreciate your help right now, Mr. Erk" Femi sighed tenderly "We've...-- our journey so far hasn't been as easy as we had hoped it to be... the situation is... serious. We're willing to pay whatever fees necessary."

Alex glanced at Femi, as she did him. Their eyes met and Femi felt her cheeks flush again. She looked back to Erk as though it had never happened, although the butterflies in her stomach were saying otherwise. Erk's nearly-finished comment had really disrupted her relaxation.

"Yeah..." Erk groaned in a stretch, holding his hands out before him "I'm sure you are."

He then rose up to his feet all of a sudden and cracked his neck left and right. Carter gulped, and Jonathan gripped his plate protectively. Femi pushed away her embarrassment and looked over at Alex nervously. Had she said the wrong thing??

"I can help you" Erk announced, making everyone's eyes twinkle "But you won't be the only folks riding on that boat, know what I'm saying? There'll be a few more."

Alex gave a nod "That's fine. We've got no problem with sharing."

"The next boat leaves at 8, though, so you're going to be stuck here for the rest of the day." Erk added.

Femi's heart sank. The longer they were delayed, the more time they were wasting in returning the Diamond Heart to its rightful place, and saving her father. That's all the wanted. For her father to be safe... yeah, that and the existence of the world to continue, but still!

Femi sighed quietly and looked down at her half-empty plate again. Alex glanced at her, hearing the depressed breath escape her tender lips.

"I'm sure we'll survive." He replied, keeping his eyes on Femi.

Femi felt a pair of eyes watching her and slowly lifted her gaze. They immediately met with Alex's over the table, and stayed there. No butterflies. No cheeks blushing. It was just... a deep stare.

"Blimey" Jonathan suddenly gasped, interrupting the odd moment "Stuck in the middle of a Turkish desert... No drinks... no gambling... no women. How the hell do you survive, Erk, old chap??"

Femi closed her eyes and released a half-amused, half-aggravated sigh which turned into a short chuckle. Alex rolled his eyes at his pathetic uncle and rubbed the back of his neck. Erk, however, found his comment ultimately wonderful and started laughing thunderously.

"You're right, buddy! I have no god-damned idea!" Erk bellowed.

Jonathan and Carter jumped in their seats with surprise. He had such a loud voice! Erk shook his head in entertainment and picked up his plate. He scraped the remains of his food into the sink and turned the taps on to wash it all away.

"There's nothing to do around here during the day. I'm going to be working out back on the fences, so you can just wander around and find something to amuse yourselves. There's got to be something, right?" He joked.

Alex glanced over at Femi a few more times before accepting that she wasn't going to look at him again. For some reason, he just wanted to make sure. Instead, he gave a light cough and looked over at Erk.

"Yeah - sure, you know, I think I'll give you a hand with those fences if you want some." He offered.

Erk clapped his hands together "The more the merrier, I say. Whenever you're ready."

Alex glanced back down at his plate of almost fully-devoured stew and nodded "I'm ready."

He stood up with Erk, and Erk nodded to him. He looked back down at the other three and waved his hand out, producing a little smile.

"Have as much as you like. Just leave the stuff where it is, and I'll clear it later. Feel free to explore the grounds." He explained.

Femi, Carter and Jonathan all nodded in understanding and watched Erk turn to leave. Alex leant over the table before following had pointed at his uncle with a stern mist in his eyes.

"And unc, try not to do anything stupid." He sighed.

He leant off from the table and left his uncle in a sarcastically offended silence. Alex walked out of the kitchen, and Femi watched him go. When he was finally out of sight, she looked back down at Carter and Jonathan. They all sat in a soft silence whilst trying to ingest what was going on, and what they had ahead of them for the rest of the day. Jonathan finally blinked and turned to look at Carter with a scrunched expression of confusion.

"...'Anything stupid'?" He repeated "What's he trying to say??"

Carter shrugged cluelessly, and Jonathan did the same. Femi rolled her eyes with a light sigh and leant back in her seat. Just as Alex was about to walk back into the living room, Erk appeared in his path, carrying a folding of clothes in his hands.

"I almost forgot about you, little miss." He chuckled.

He stepped back into the room and looked over at Femi, shrugging softly. Alex raised an eyebrow and waited curiously.

"They aren't much, but I'm sure you'd prefer these rather than that ratty old gown you've got on. I got 'em from a friend of mine, back in England..." Erk told Femi; there seemed to be more to that story than he had given away.

Femi looked down at herself and pouted slightly. He was right. She was still wearing the dressing gown that she had left Moss' in. It was covered in dry mud and there was a little rip near the bottom of it. She needed some clothes, desperately. Erk set the clothes on the table and then nodded to Femi.

"Thank you, Mr. Erk." Femi said, smiling.

He smiled in slight flattery and nodded "You're most welcome" He turned back to Alex and winked "Let's get to work then, son."

He walked past Alex and into the living room; this time, he didn't return. Femi pulled the clothes towards her and held them up in front to see what they were; a sleeveless, white blouse with frills around the neck, and a straight, formal skirt that came down to roughly just below the knees, and had a long, feminine slit up the side of the left leg.

Femi blushed "Oh..."

Alex smirked at her unsure reaction "What's the problem?"

"Problem?" Femi repeated, and lifted her chin proudly "There is no problem. Everything's fine.

Alex raised a rude eyebrow "It's a miracle."

Femi dropped her hands to the table and gasped up at Alex. How rude! Alex winked cockily and vanished through the living room doorway before Femi could get a word in to defend herself. She growled angrily and, shaking her head, sat back in her seat to sulk. He was so... so... hopelessly predictable.

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_**Hi there! Yeah, so, I'm getting a little concerned upon the length of my story. I have a feeling that people are going to see '23 Episodes' and get completely put off - and there's still several more to come! I would be so grateful if someone could give me some feedback on their opinion concerning this issue. I don't know whether to cut down my idea of how many more episodes I'll be writing, or just to continue on as I had planned. I'm new here, so I don't know what people are looking for really. Thank you anyway! Gwen.**_


	26. Drama In The Barn

**_Author's Note:_ I just wanted to apologise for not having updated recently. My internet server was swapped over, so I was without a connection for at least a week; I was furious, what with needing it for college work and all. But anyhow, I'm back! **

**Secondly, I am aware that there are a few unsatisfied members on here who aren't feeling my story very much (but still, I am utterly grateful to all those who have left supportive reviews!), and I know you are saying my story and characters aren't original, and I am going to agree. This was a wild shot at such an extreme fanfic, so it probably isn't that great in terms of originality. The Mummy movies have pretty much left me with hardly any new action scenes, like exploding boats and what not. I wrote this story a while ago, and so it's a little inconvenient for me to have to change it all around now, due to the fact that it all leads onto more important situations... but I assure you, after the upcoming boat scene, a lot of stuff is going to change. Meh, I'm rambling now. Read!**

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Femi released a tired, relieved sigh and placed the last remaining, _clean_ plate upon the side counter where it could dry with the other pots and cutlery that she had washed up. She flicked her hands into the sink to rid any excess water and turned the tap tightly to stop the water flowing. She blew a black, straggly curl from her face and wiped her hands completely dry on the polka dotted tea-towel sitting on the counter net to her. There was nothing like a good, hard work at the sink that made Femi feel right at home.

So what if Erk had told them all to leave everything as it was - he was just being polite to his guests, and it was the least she could do, especially after he had given her clean clothes to wear. Femi had pretended as though she had never heard his polite gesture, and got straight to the cleaning as soon as she had finished changing. Goodness knew where Carter and Jonathan had gone off to. But after Jonathan had taken too long to leave the room after Femi had announce that she was getting changed, Carter had grabbed him hard and literally yanked him out. They had probably gone off looking for some kind of bar or something, knowing what they were like.

Femi smiled faintly at the thought and turned away from the sink. She looked around the kitchen to double check that there was nothing left for her to do, and nodded. As she walked past the table, she made sure all the chairs were tucked it in and in a neat fashion, not crooked or slanted. She was a very tidy person, and liked to express that through her housework. And indeed, Femi felt very satisfied with her artwork today.

She locked her hands in front of her stomach and silently walked over to the front door. She turned the handle and swung both doors - the bug-screen door and the wooden house door - open to step outside. She was immediately engulfed in the warm, afternoon breeze and took a long breath in to swell the sweet humidity. She let the doors swing shut behind her and wandered to the edge of the porch. She leant her side against the wooden pillar that held the balcony floor above her and started toying with the ends of her curls. The sandy, wooden floor felt warm and soothing beneath her bare feet. She gazed out at the pale desert all around her and sighed dreamily. Femi had never imagined in her entire life that she would be standing on the edge of a porch, of a farm, in the middle of a desert in Turkey. She had always wanted to see the world... but then again, Femi would have never expected to be on a mission to save not only her father but the world as well! It was all so much to think about. Femi didn't want to think, as much as she felt the responsibility to. No... for now, for that single moment, she just wanted to let go of her stresses and admire the view.

It was breathtaking.

Femi's dreamy wondering was interrupted by a loud clicking sound. Someone nearby definitely had a _huge_ tongue. Femi turned away from the landscape and curiously followed the terrace round to the other side of the Farm. She came to another short set of wooden steps and found herself staring at a long row of stables. She gasped in awe. Femi gave an adoring smile and walked down the steps to confront one of the Llama's that was poking its head over the gate to its pen. Femi was so wrapped up in watching the beautiful, cream creature that she hadn't noticed Alex and Erk on the other side of the back yard, fitting long, wooden planks in place to create a fence and hammer them in place. She giggled lightly, the sandy dirt feeling lovely and soft beneath her feet, and wandered up to pet the gentle creature.

Femi smiled in awe and slowly lifted her hand up to pet the Llama's forehead "Well, hello there."

The Llama twitched its ear and allowed her to start stroking its long forehead and nose. It's large, black eyes watched Femi closely, just as her chocolate ones watched him warmly. Femi had heard that Llama's were some of the kindest creatures on earth. She had never seen one, and yet she found them utterly delightful already. The Llama's fur was so soft... so precious.

"Aren't you beautiful." Femi whispered, mesmerised.

The Llama snorted quietly and lowered its head. It was obviously enjoying Femi's petting. Whilst she continued to fulfil its wishes, another Llama poked its head out of the stable next to her. It was completely black with stunning blue eyes. Femi gasped at its sudden appearance, and soon broke into a fit of giggles when it tried to lick her face.

"Ah! N-no!" She laughed.

At hearing Femi's voice, both Alex and Erk left the wooden plank in place and stopped whatever they were doing with their hammers and nails still in each gloved hand. They saw her tending to the Llama's and giggling happily, and Erk glanced over at Alex; he was smiling ever so softly, almost unnoticeably. But Erk could see it.

"Animals like her" Erk sighed loudly, as though talking about the weather "Misfit still tries to bite me, and I've known her for almost a year now."

Alex took his words quite seriously. He cleared his throat and looked away from Femi as though he had never seen her.

"I don't see why you decided to keep Llama's and not cows. What good are Llamas anyhow? All they do is spit, burp and cause a whole lot of mess." Alex grumbled.

Alex stepped over to the plank of wood and held the tip of a nail to the end of it. He brought his hammer to hover over it, and when ready, began hitting it. The nail slowly sunk into the wood, deeper and deeper. Erk simply shook his head at Alex, and proceeded to copy his actions by hammering down the opposite end of the plank.

"Cow's can give you milk - cheese, bread, tea... you name it. But they don't give you the company that the Llamas do. It's like they've got a born instinct to keep their owners happy. You've got to love 'em." Erk explained.

Alex smirked and stepped back from finishing his first nail "I had no idea you had such a soft side, Erk."

"Yeah" Erk laughed with his tongue half-hanging out in concentration "And plus, they give you good coats come Winter time. The cows, you see, they're coats rot quite easily unless you put that special syrup on 'em. Stuff I can't find 'round 'ere."

Alex's nose wrinkled and he stared at Erk with complete distaste. Erk continued on without seeing, and Alex soon shook his head with a gentle snicker. He picked up another nail and positioned it upon the plank.

"Erk. You're twisted" Alex muttered "How can you skin something you love, huh?"

Erk chuckled and ignored his comment "It's easier than you think. Completely different with animals. Of course, you couldn't go off and skin that pretty lady of yours over there, just to keep you warm."

Erk's words steered Alex away from his concentration and he accidentally slammed the head of his hammer down onto his finger, instead of the nail. Alex dropped the hammer with a loud growl and flicked his flaming finger angrily. Erk stopped hammering and watched him with a slightly amused expression in his eyes.

"My point, proven." He chuckled.

Alex looked down upon his bleeding finger and sighed in disappointment. He sucked upon it until the blood vanished and then examined the wound curiously. A small split had opened down the side of his finger tip, and the blood was rushing back quite furiously. Damn Femi and the thoughts she provoked!

"I've got a medical kit in the barn, down the side of the stables. A brown box, underneath the stack of tool trays. I've got some bandages in there for you." Erk explained, concentrating on his hammering once more.

"Thanks, Erk." Alex sighed irritably before heading off towards the barn.

Femi had heard Alex's loud outbreak not just a moment ago. She spun around to see what the commotion was all about, and found herself looking at a topless, tanned Alex. Her cheeks flushed in both delight and embarrassment, and yet her heart fluttered. Why? She didn't know. That was why she was mainly so disgruntled - because she had reacted in such a way. And when Alex had turned around and began walking back towards her, she didn't quite know what to do. In her effort to avoid Alex passing her, she bid the Llamas a gentle goodbye and quickly escaped down the side-passage that, which she soon discovered, led her into the large barn at the back of the house.

She stopped rushing and took her time to move into the middle of the room. The barn was packed with all kinds of furniture, decorations and objects. A wind chime which had silver feathers hanging from the strings dangled elegantly from a long pole, stretching across the roof, next to her. Her eyes softened at its mysteriousness, and she brushed her finger tip against it to create a delicate twinkling sound. Her heart melted in harmony. She tore her attention away from the whispering wind chime and continued to look around. A large tractor was parked against the wall to her right with a large, blue, dusty sheet covering it from sight. Furniture such as old cupboards, tables, chairs, shelves and chests were packed up in discombobulated piles around the barn, and more intriguing things lay scattered upon them, or on the floor: a miniature, golden angel statue, a violin, a rusty chandelier, a smoky mirror leaning against the wall which had dust and dirt dimming out the beautiful red jewels that were engraved into its border, a cream, large Rocking-Horse, who was frozen in silence, with it's brown eyes staring hypnotically ahead at nothing in particular, and a collection of women's hats in all different types of colours with varied decorations knitted and glued elegantly to their rims.

And then, up against the wall, Femi spotted a dusty, brown piano sitting on its lonesome with a khaki sheet half-covering it. She walked up to the angelic instrument and carefully peeled back the cover to marvel down at it. Its beauty had gone to waste, and its company highly neglected. Femi felt sorry for it. She hovered her hand over the dirty keys and delicately began dabbing her finger tips onto them singularly to create a few soft notes. Femi began playing a tender melody which echoed around the barn aerially. Her finger tips left imprints in the dust upon the keys, as though marking the piano with the love that it had been awaiting for so long.

--"He's a dealer." A voice suddenly answered her.

Femi gasped and spun round in alarm. There stood Alex, his sweaty, muscly chest and arms bare and gleaming persuasively. Femi found it hard to keep her eyes off of them and on his face. How long had he been standing there, watching her?

Alex had that usual cocky, knowing smirk threatening to reveal itself, and he was leaning all his weight onto one leg. Alex looked around and swiped his fingers against leaves of the wind chime next to him so that the dust on them floated away in a small cloud, and the leaves knocked loudly together, sending airy twinkles around the barn. Femi heard the Llamas stir in their stables.

"Erk was a dealer of stolen goods. That's why he had to seek refuge here. He got caught out." Alex explained.

He walked over to the other side of the barn from Femi and started browsing through the cluttered desktop for something. Femi watched him curiously, but with a sense of cold stubbornness about her. She wasn't happy with the way she was watching his handsome muscles.

"Oh, I see" Femi muttered "Relying upon a criminal to deliver us to Egypt on time... that sounds perfectly logical."

Her voice was full of sarcasm. Of false anger, that Alex felt entirely sceptical towards. He was beginning to adjust to Femi's mood swings and teachings on how to be proper and right. And so, he cocked his head to one side considerably and sighed heavily. He found the brown medical kit he was looking for and opened it up to find a bundle of wrapped bandage sitting in the open for him to clearly see. He started unravelling it.

"I trust him, so there's no reason why you shouldn't." He softly said.

Femi shook her head and looked back down at the piano "That's ironic, really, seeing as you have led my brother and I into more trouble than I had ever imagined. I thought this journey was going to be simple."

"Yeah, well, that makes two of us, lady." Alex grunted.

Alex started wrapping the long, cotton bandage around his finger until there were enough layers protecting it. He tried to rip the end off with his teeth, but he failed miserably, and was left with a few splinters of itchy cotton hanging upon his lips. Femi watched him spit them away and smiled in slight regalement. She rolled her eyes and walked over to Alex with a disappointed sigh.

"Let _me_ do it." She chuckled mockingly.

Alex looked over his shoulder and saw her approaching. He looked back down at his finger and turned his back fully to her.

"I can handle it." He grumbled.

Femi rolled her eyes and stepped around him. He turned away again, and Femi huffed tiredly.

"Alex, for heaven's sakes, stop being so stubborn. Men aren't all-powerful, you know. Just give me your finger." She snapped.

Alex grunted impatiently and turned around to face her again. He held both his hands out and watched Femi's delicate, slender fingers easily tear the bandage away from the wrapped bundle. What he didn't notice, however, was how much effort it was taking her not to stare at his sweaty, muscly chest and arms.

"You shouldn't rush everything so much. Patience is a virtue, you know." She teased, glancing up at him.

Alex gave a faint snicker, which then suddenly faltered... and he paused. His eyes lingered upon Femi's face as she sternly stared down at his finger in concentration. _Patience is a virtue_ - something his mother had always said to him.

"There" Femi announced with a nod "All done."

Alex tore his eyes away from hers and looked down upon his finger. It was tied securely, and well protected.

"See, that wasn't so unbearable now, was it?" She provoked.

Alex looked back up at Femi, but said nothing. Femi's taunting little smile slowly faded as she noticed the stern, contemplating cloud within Alex's sea-green eyes. Why was he staring at her so intensely? It was stirring. Overpowering... and yet so gentle. Femi leant back slightly and raised an eyebrow.

"Why didn't you tell me about your visions?" Alex suddenly asked.

Well, talk about being bold. This man seemed to have no consideration for others, whatsoever. Femi was quite taken back by the confident question and introverted as a reaction. She took a small breath in, her eyes flickering with uncomfortable awkwardness, and she loosely wrapped her arms around herself. She turned away from Alex and wandered across the hay-floored barn towards the back openings of the Llama stables. The Llamas had all turned around and now had their heads poking into the barn curiously. Femi walked up to a champagne-coloured Llama and tenderly began stroking the side of its neck. Her wind was swimming with thoughts, and the butterflies in her stomach had settled equivocally. She couldn't think of any other way to react to his question than by walking away. Avoiding it. But Alex wasn't eager to give up so quickly.

He watched her stroking the Llama in a meditative silence whilst pondering over her previous actions. Her body language clearly told him that she wasn't prepared to answer him without a fight. But, this was Femi Reynolds, not just any girl willing to batt her eyelids and nod for the audience. This young girl was tough -- _annoyingly_ tough. Alex walked over to where she was and stood on the other side of the Llama to her, with his side leaning against the wall of the stable. He stared at her with scrutinising eyes that, although she could strongly feel, refused to meet. She just continued gazing blankly at the graceful Llama whilst stroking it.

"Are you just going to ignore any unwanted question that comes your way?" Alex softly asked "Just... walk away?"

Femi still denied any eye contact with him, but she still answered "What you never knew couldn't harm you, Mr. O'Connell. There was no need to inform you of something so irrelevant."

Alex's eyes narrowed sourly. There she was again, calling him by his last name. She seemed to use it whenever she was angry or annoyed with him. Just like his mother.

"Actually" Alex snipped, holding his hand up "It's the exact opposite. You've had visions of Egypt since you were a little girl, right? And you never thought, just for one _second_, that it had anything to do with why those men had been chasing you?"

Femi snorted "Oh, _please_. And the Diamond Heart absolutely had nothing to do with either, I suppose?" She asked sarcastically "What exactly did you expect me to think, when all they kept referring to was the Diamond Heart?"

"Well something along those lines." Alex replied.

Femi shook her head "Well I do apologise for not trying to make everything _always_ about me."

Alex sighed lightly and shook his head. He scuffed his boot in the hay on the floor and clicked his tongue impatiently. This girl was so sarcastic!

"That's not what I meant, and you know it" He grumbled "I'm just saying that I was you, I would have been worried about it before. I would have connected it to it all. Why my father was kidnapped. Why it was all associated with Egypt. You just don't understand do yo"--

"No" Femi calmly interrupted, turning to look at him "What _you_ don't seem to understand, Mr. O'Connell, is that I hardly know anything about you. I didn't then, and I still don't now. So what led you to believe that I would confide in you one of my most personal secrets, just because you are guiding myself and my brother to the conclusion of one of the most dangerous situations of our lives?"

Alex was awe-struck by her intelligent answer. _He_ was the dumb-struck one, now. She had made an incredibly good, and true, point, which he couldn't really answer. Well, he could, but only in a truthful, non-witty manner, which would only degrade his position in the dispute. And, being the O'Connell that he was, he did exactly that.

"Because I'm so incredibly handsome" He snickered, and Femi blushed furiously "Don't think I haven't seen the way you've been watching me. I can tell when I'm wanted."

Femi gasped and her nose wrinkled in embarrassment. Alex smirked at her reaction and folded his arms across his chest.

"Mr. O'Connell" Femi snapped "You really are the most unbecoming person I have ever met - even compared to my brother."

Alex rolled his eyes "Well, that's a relief, I'll say."

Femi stomped her foot "Mr. O'Connell!"

"Miss Reynolds" Alex snapped, teasing her "Chill out, lady. You don't always have to be so angry at everyone for your own mistakes. You were the one who let your 'personal secret' get to the worst of all this mess. If you had spoke up sooner, who knows how easy things might have been."

Femi's eyes trembled "That's quite enough. It's not all fun and games, Mr. O'Connell" Femi sighed, her eyes glossing ever so slightly "I'm not in the favour of spilling out my misfortunate ability of envisioning dreams of Ancient Egypt. So, please, forgive me for not leaping into your arms and laughing the truth out loud, because in all honesty, Mr. O'Connell, I was hoping that you, nor anyone else, would ever have to discover it."

Femi trailed off in a harsh whisper and averted her twinkling gaze to the floor. Now, Alex felt guilty. He felt sympathy over her, but not a pathetic sympathy. More of a guilty sympathy. He had just been a complete idiot to her. Careless and inconsiderate, just because he didn't want to lose the debate. This young girl had been through a lot, not only in the past few days, but throughout her whole life, so it seemed. And yet, here she stood, fiery female with a hell of a lot to stand up for, still fighting and continuing on, making sure to snap out at the first person to push her buttons. And Alex had pushed them too hard.

"Now, if you don't mind, Mr. O'Connell, I would appreciate it if you would just leave me be until our departure this evening" She whispered, still staring at the ground "I wish to enjoy today whilst we still have it without the guns and all the fearful running" She then snapped her eyes up at him; a tear dropped to the floor within the flick of an eye, but Alex spotted it "And that doesn't include your indelicate barraging of tactless interrogations!"

With that, she spun round and rushed away from him towards the side-alley to escape. Alex rolled his eyes in self-anger and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Hey" He sighed out to her "C'mon, wait a min"--

But no, she ignored his call completely. She had turned into the walkway and disappeared from sight without even glancing back at him. Alex sighed shamefully at his 'tactless' behaviour and looked around the barn in deep thought. He had really pushed his luck, that time. In his anger, he kicked his foot across the ground and threw a load of weightless hay into the air.

"_Stupid_." He hissed at himself.

The Llama that Femi had just been patting made a soft gurgling sound and then suddenly spat a load of saliva out from between the gap in its teeth. Alex flinched back and dodged the attack by a mere inch, and the Llama then turned back round in its stable so that its bottom was facing him. Alex glared over at its backside and cursed under his breath. Was it just him, or had that Llama specifically tried to spit on him for the way he had just been towards Femi?

It seemed that Alex O'Connell would never be able to understand and predict that ways of women. Especially not Femi Reynolds - the most surprising, intricate, _beautiful_ woman he had ever met in his entire life. And it appeared that he had just caused her to hate him even more.


	27. Catching Up

Femi reached the end of the walkway and stepped out into the humid light. She sniffed and delicately wiped her eyes free of any tears, and sighed heavily. She was so confused. So torn. Was it her fault that her father had been taken? Was all of this just because of her abnormal ability? Perhaps Alex was right, and Femi only hated him so because he was the only one who had the courage to tell her the truth. Despite whether it was painful or not.

Femi brought her hands up and covered her face stressfully, and began massaging her cheeks in pursuit to relax herself. She walked away from the entrance to the barn and made her way towards the stairway of the balcony. She just wanted to forget that entire confrontation she had just experienced with Alex. Perhaps because she didn't want to admit that, just maybe, she was a protagonist that enabled all of this tragedy and action to unfold, or maybe it was simply because she didn't want her anger to spoil the rest of the day. Soon, the guns and the violence would all return. But not for now. Now, Femi was going to just relax.

Femi lowered her hands and nodded to herself "Yes."

She inhaled a long, deep breath through her nose and released it from her mouth. Her lungs filled with the sweet air and her heart was beating placidly. Yes. _This_ was a moment for absolute mitigation. Erk began to batter his hammer down upon another nail and created an echoing chain of soft knocks. Femi stopped, turned, and looked across the half-built pen and squinted her eyes protectively from the sun. Erk was still working away. He turned to pick out another nail and noticed Femi looking, and so gave a gentle wave above his head. Femi smiled to herself and returned the wave enthusiastically. At that moment, Alex emerged from the side walkway and stepped into the exotic sunlight. He squinted his eyes against the brightness and looked around confusedly for a moment; he found Femi. She tensed up immediately and felt that certain hot blush pushing its way onto display. Every time she was going to look at him, she would be reminded of the heated conversation they shared in the barn. Would she ever get over it? Alex watched her emotionless until she decided to break the awkward moment and turn away. She trotted back up the steps to return to the porch and sighed anxiously to herself, stroking her forehead. As she proceeded towards the turning on the corner of the house, a familiar voice laughed out in joy.

"Read 'em and weep, Johhny boy!" Carter exclaimed proudly.

Femi blinked, and any emotions or thoughts brought about by Alex's appearance drifted away. She turned around the corner and stopped to inspect the situation. Carter and Jonathan were sitting at a table upon the deck with a set of cards shared and laid out between them. They were playing a game, quite obviously, and Femi assumed that her brother had just won the round. Jonathan was frowning miserably at his cards and shaking his head. Sighing, he set them down and leant back in his seat. He then noticed Femi standing from the distance and threw his hands up in the air.

"I don't get it. I never lose."

Carter laughed in a swanking manner and scooped up all of the cards to begin handing them out again. Jonathan rubbed the back of his head and looked around inquisitively.

"Perhaps it's just this place. Bad luck." He mused.

"Or maybe I'm just better at cards than you, sonny." Carter gloated.

Femi rolled her eyes and wandered nearer to them. She peered down at the cards that Carter was now handing out between himself and Jonathan, and raised an eyebrow.

"What are you gambling?" She asked.

Jonathan snickered and looked around, holding his hands up to present the scenery around them "Dirt."

Femi chuckled tenderly and placed her fingers to her lips. Jonathan picked up his sharing of cards and started shuffling them whilst staring challengingly at Carter opposite, who was doing the exact same. Femi remained where she was and watched their game begin. Carter slipped off the card from the top of his stack and placed it face-up on the table. Then Jonathan took his top card, and slapped it down on top. The two of them flinched their hands forwards, and then retreated them, seeing that the two cards were different. Femi blinked in utter amusement. They were playing _snap_? Her brother never was good at cards, but now... it was obviously different. Everything was different.

Everything had changed.

At these facts intruding upon Femi's thoughts, she frowned tenderly, and turned away from the two of them. Carter glanced up at her as he handed the last card in the pack to Jonathan and noticed her sudden change in mood. Something was wrong. Femi walked along the porch and over to the other corner of the house. She folded her arms loosely across her front and leant her side against the thin, wooden pillar. She sighed quietly and gaze out into space in reminiscence.

Carter winked to Jonathan and nodded "Gimme' a minute, will you old chap?"

Jonathan blinked in confusion, and looked over his shoulder. He saw Femi standing there with her head tilted against the pillar, almost in a wisp of sadness. He looked back round and nodded in understanding to Carter.

"Of course, buddy. No rush." He considerately told him.

Carter stood to his feet and walked over to Femi, leaving Jonathan to attempt a few card tricks by himself. Of course, all this led to were the cards spilling out into the air like a waterfall, and scattering about all around him. At least that would buy Carter some more time.

Femi felt a hand land on her shoulder, and Carter noticed that she gave a fragile jump. She had every right to be on edge. This whole journey so far had been full of nothing but danger. But at seeing her brother, Femi smiled, and relaxed.

"Oh, it's you Carter." She muttered.

He stepped up next to her and leant forwards to rest his forearms along the wooden ledge. He looked up at her, and she smiled softly.

"Penny for your thoughts?" He asked.

Femi smiled a little more. He always asked her that when he was concerned. That was his token quote: 'Penny for your thoughts?' What he really meant was 'I notice you're looking upset, and I want to know why, or if there's anything I can do to help'. But, of course, Carter being the way he was, he never could just say that. It was far too intimate for him, even as a brother. But Femi accepted that, and appreciated his concern. At least he was trying.

She turned her head away and pouted innocently, as though there was nothing to say "... Nothing, really. I just can't help thinking about what's going to happen when we actually arrive at Egypt. What exactly can we do with this Diamond Heart without the Parallel Stars?"

Carter thought on her rhetorical question for a moment. He watched Femi from the side, and soon joined her in admiring the dry land that stretched on for eternity.

"I'm just living in the moment, Femi. No point in getting all bothered about what's to come. Just... worry about it when it arrives, you know?" He stated.

Femi nodded in fair agreement and glanced down at her shuffling feet. Carter watched her again and finally leant back up. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and tugged on her a few times.

"It'll turn out alright, old mum. It always does." He kindly consoled her.

Femi smiled delicately and nodded "Yes..."

He smiled back, and the two of them nodded in agreement. Femi gave Carter a little hug, which he was quick to return, and he then removed his arm from her and winked. Femi turned and watched him stroll back over to Jonathan, and at the sight of the cards everywhere, he laughed and questioned how 'the bloody hell he managed that'. Femi snickered and rolled her eyes. They landed upon a small feather that was sitting on the wooden floor. It was caught on a splinter, and fluttering impatiently in the breeze. She bent down and picked it free and raised back up to let it go. She watched it float away and sighed dreamily. If only she was a feather. To just fly away, wherever the wind would take her.

But she wasn't.

And she couldn't.

"Get your head out of the clouds, girl." She whispered.

Femi turned away from the deceiving view and walked towards the front door of the house. She glanced over at the boys and saw them evenly handing out the cards between themselves again.

Femi rolled her eyes and walked to the door, sighing: "Have fun, boys."

She walked back into the kitchen and stopped in front of the empty table. She folded her arms neatly across her chest and, sighing fragilely, browsed the room in wonder. Her attention travelled over to the doorway on the other side of the room; through its narrow shape, she could make out a partially empty room with half a couch poking past, and a maroon rug with a few fraying tears at the ends. Femi tilted her head to the side and gradually made her way closer and closer to the doorway. That couch looked _awfully_ welcoming. Because of the time zone difference, Femi was now in a country that was 7 hours ahead of her normal schedule. If she were at home, she would be fast asleep in her bed right now...

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_Meanwhile, back in Leeds..._

The midday sun was hidden away by the thick, grey clouds that were distending in the sky, and the autumn wind was still as chilly as ever, especially in this particularly deserted area of the countryside (at least ninety miles along from Moss' violated Manor). A queue of four large, khaki jeeps rolled along the destitute country road and drove into a turning on the left. They followed the first jeep one by one and soon pulled up outside a large field. It was filled with planes of all colours and sizes.

A man dressed in black clothing, with a black cloth wrapped around his face and a gun hanging on his shoulder jumped out from the back of the first open-roofed jeep in line. He went to the front passenger door and opened it, stepping aside with his head bowed. A slender, mysterious woman in black stepped out into the open and took in her surroundings. It was Meela.

"This is it?" She asked.

The man kept his head bowed "Yes, your Excellency."

Meela looked straight ahead at the variety of different planes. Her eyes narrowed in interest behind the black, netted veil that hung over her slightly bruised face, and she smiled.

"Very good." She muttered.

She walked forwards a few steps and then turned around to look at the remaining group of men sitting in the back of the truck that she had been driving in. She pointed at arms length.

"You" She called "Find the administrator of the airport. Tell him we are in urgent need of his finest, fastest pilots at hand. A one-way ticket to The River Nile."

The men all nodded and quickly loaded out of the hood of the jeep. The melody of guns banging together and being cocked brought a bright gleam to Meela's eyes. Before they ran off in the direction of the large office house, just a little way down the road, one man turned to Meela and bowed his head.

"Whad' if dey' don't have any flighd's available?" He asked.

Meela rolled her eyes and slapped her hand to the back of his head, making him jump "That's the idea, you idiot! Let them know just how much we need one!"

The man bowed over and over whilst muttering a series of flattering apologies. Meela grimaced tiredly and waved her hand dismissively. The group ran off up the road to play guns and victims. In the mean time, Meela strolled over to the jeep behind the front and now empty one, and folded her arms.

"When we get to Egypt, I'm leaving twenty of you to find that boat." She spat.

"Yes, your ladyship." The men said in unison.

Meela nodded "It's the only way to get there. Only a fool would have their pilot fly them all the way to Egypt" She turned and gazed viciously into the distance of the gentle, grey countryside "They would have had to go the rest of the way by boat. Up into the Nile. There, you'll be waiting for them. And when you find them, give Alex a special message for me."

A few of the men gave dark chuckles of understanding. The corner of Meela's thin lips quirked spitefully, and she stared out into space, her mind full of merciless thoughts and images.

"Bring me the Diamond Heart, of course... but more than anything... bring the girl" She hissed "Destroy anyone who gets in the way. And make sure they're dead. I _want_ that girl."

"'Dey will be delivered, as you wish." A man reassured her.

Meela tore her eyes away from the horizon and turned to look over her shoulder. She stared at them emotionlessly for a moment, and then smiled.

"Yes. They _will_." She repeated.

A gunshot blasted into the sky, and everyone cocked their heads round to look up the road, at the little white office beside it. Meela shifted her feet excitedly and placed a hand on her hip, smirking, and announced their next move:

"It seems our flights await us."

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	28. Try To Be Supportive

"SNAP!" Carter's voice hollered around the house.

Carter broke out into a fit of excited laughter and stormed his feet upon the ground. Jonathan rolled his eyes and sat back in his seat in a sulk to watch Carter scoop up the last of his cards.

"This game's getting boring now. Why don't we play something else, ey?" He asked.

Carter sniggered "You mean you're bored of losing?"

Jonathan rolled his eyes again "Yes, yes, fine, I admit it: I'm losing. Now, can we play something else? Preferably something that I can actually win at?"

"Hah! You'd like that, wouldn't you, you sneaky dog, you!" Carter laughed.

"Hey, boys" A new voice interrupted "Finished your game?"

It was Alex, with his shirt hanging over his shoulder. Erk was following closely behind with a tool box in his hand. Carter beamed proudly and placed the stack of cards down on the table.

"Indeed we have. Beat him at every match." He boasted.

Alex snickered "That's a first. Where's Femi?"

Carter nudged his head in the direction of the door "She went inside a few hours ago. Why?"

Alex looked back and forth from Jonathan and Carter, and then nodded "It's time to go."

Carter and Jonathan's faces straightened, and they looked to each other. Time to go. Carter looked down at the cards before him and kept silent. Alex nodded again and turned to look round at Erk.

"Best be leaving as soon as possible. You'll want to get first tabs on the rooms, ey." He laughed.

Alex walked past Carter and Jonathan, leaving them to admire the scenery for the last time before their leave, and opened the front door of the house. He stepped into the kitchen and looked around. At seeing the table clean and tidy, he smirked, and allowed Erk to pass.

"Well, would you look at that" Erk chuckled "You know, if it's no trouble, I think I'd like to keep that little lady friend of yours around a little longer."

Alex snickered "Believe me, I'd hand her over to you in a second if it weren't for the circumstances..."

The two men laughed with each other, but although Alex had said those words, he didn't feel like he meant them. Not at all. Alex was caught off guard by his sudden guilt and cleared his throat awkwardly. Erk wandered round the table to start packing away the clean dishes, whistling a tune.

"Where's she gone, anyhow?" Alex asked, looking around.

His eyes met with the second half of Erk's sofa through the living room doorway. He saw two, slim legs crossed over each other and a pair of delicate little feet hanging over the edge of the cushions. He smirked; he could recognise those feet anywhere.

"Never mind." He snickered.

He waltzed across the kitchen and on into the living room. He stood at the crown of the sofa where Femi's head was resting on a pillow. He looked down at her pale, peaceful face and listened to her serene breathing. He found himself suddenly admiring the layout of her dark, curly hair against her feminine cheekbones, and looked away with a little cough. He then turned it into a loud, long clearing of his throat which didn't take very long to awake the sleeping princess. She jerked out from her sleep and opened her eyes, inhaling a long, fresh breath through her nose. She rolled onto her back and Alex secretly watched her stretch out her legs and little feet. She lifted up her hands above her head and they pushed into his stomach, making him smirk. Femi froze for a second until she realised that it wasn't just her imagination, and then sat up straight. She turned around to see Alex standing there, and immediately huffed and turned her head away. Quite obviously, she still wasn't happy with him from the conversation they had had in the barn.

"Get your stuff together. We're leaving." He bluntly told her, and turned to leave.

Femi blinked and sat up straight "What? _Leaving_? Now??"

Alex stopped and turned to shoot her a sour, sarcastic glare "No... I just thought I'd wake you up for the fun of it."

"I would believe that, you know." Femi muttered.

Alex rolled his eyes "Well, I didn't, so get up. We're leaving."

Femi lowered her now gloomy eyes to her lap. She brought her hands together and sighed daintily. Alex was glued to the spot, now. Fair enough, he was a bit of a cock most of the time, but he still had gentlemanly manners towards women when they were feeling down. And he could tell that Femi wasn't in the happiest of moods. Alex stared up at the ceiling with narrowed eyes as he tried to decide on whether he should risk hurting his ego by comforting her, or whether he should just let her get on with it, because he knew that she would most likely just bite his head off anyhow. But Alex's conscience got the better of him, and with a roll of his eyes, he rubbed the back of his neck and spoke.

"You said you've never been to Egypt before?" Alex asked.

Femi glanced over at him, but kept her attention on her hands "No. I haven't."

Alex nodded "Well... you should be excited. It's not all that bad."

Femi thought over his words for a moment. Was he trying to cheer her up? No. He couldn't be. That wasn't like him at all. Alex O'Connell was a rude, insensitive pig who cared about nothing but his precious money. That's the only reason he was there. Not because he wanted to be. Or... maybe he did? His parents were kidnapped, too, after all. But he had said he wasn't close with them, and wasn't going back to them. So, then, did that mean he didn't care that they were in dangerous hands? Surely not... They were still his parents, whether or not they didn't get on.

"I was hoping my first visit there wouldn't be in the effort to save the world from a massacre." Femi half-chortled.

Alex waited for a moment, and then nodded, and half-turned "It's a memory. Something to tell our grandkids."

Femi's heart skipped a beat, and she turned her head to look at Alex with wide eyes. Had he just said what she thought he had?? Alex suddenly realised how his words sounded and blinked in embarrassment.

"_Our_ grandkids as in, yours, and then mine"-- He cut himself off again, and rolled his eyes "With another... with some other guy, well, if you even have any grandki"-- He cut himself off yet again, and sighed "Just... try not to think about why we're going there. Try to see it differently."

Femi snorted and rolled her eyes "Oh, yes, of course, it should be perfectly easy for me to forget that my father could be being tortured. I should just sit back in the sun when we get there. Pretend it's not happening, should I? Is that what you're telling me to do Mr. O'Connell?"

Alex grimaced, and sighed. He knew this was going to happen. He would say something tactless and Femi would misconstrue it completely, ergo, causing another spit-spat between them. It was hopeless trying to comfort this girl. She was so independent. She wasn't like most women who would gladly cry on a man's shoulder if offered. No. Femi was strong, and perhaps a little too strong for her own damn good. She needed to learn that it's ok to cry and be weak in life. But that wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

"Get ready. We're leaving shortly." Alex told her.

With that, he turned the rest of the way and left the living room, and re-entered the kitchen. Femi watched him from behind until he was no longer in her view, from which she then sighed loudly and buried her face in her hands. She fell back into the comfort of the couch and just sat there in a heated silence by herself, thinking over everything. She listened to Erk's whistling and the clattering of plates and thuds of cupboard doors opening and closing, and soon, felt her cheeks cooling down again. Time passed by quicker than she had perceived it to, and it wasn't long before Erk's voice called into her through the doorway:

"Sorry to interrupt you and your hands, darling" He joked, causing Femi to lower her hands and look over at him "But we're leaving now."

Femi blinked a few times and recollected herself. She nodded cooperatively and smiled politely.

"A-alright, I'll be there in a second, I just need to"--

"No worries, I was just letting you know" Erk interrupted with a wink "I'll be out front with the others."

Femi's smile softened into an appreciative one, and Erk walked away to go outside. Femi took a deep breath in and looked around Erk's living room reflectively. What was waiting for them ahead? Pain? Sadness? _Death_? Femi didn't know. And even though Alex's advice was a little off key, he had made some kind of sense. Just like her uncle. She shouldn't worry about what was to come until it arrived. _Then_ she could worry. Femi nodded to herself and leant down to slip on her grubby, battered boots. One thing was for sure: Femi needed a new raiment.

After having tied her shoelaces up securely, Femi stood up and brushed herself down. She checked that the red bag was nestled safely within her new, flossy shirt and then walked out of the living room, and into the kitchen. She reached the front door and opened it, stepping outside, and allowed it to close shut behind her. Wasn't there a key or something to lock it up? Nevertheless, Erk did live out in the middle of nowhere. Who was going to rob his house out there?

Two loud, sharp beeps honked out to Femi and she spun away from the door in alarm. She walked to the top step of the porch and held her hand across her brow to look out at the large, khaki-coloured jeep that was waiting for her. Erk was in the driver seat with Alex sitting next to him in the passenger seat, and Jonathan and Carter were sitting in the back, where the jeep became roofless. Femi sighed and pouted. Great. Another car without a roof.

"Well? What're you waiting for, rainy season? Let's get this stroller strolling!" Erk called out.

Erk laughed loudly and slapped the outside of his car door through his open window. Femi lowered her hand and trotted down the steps with a gentle sigh. It was moving on towards the afternoon, now. It wasn't long before sunset would be approaching, and then night... and Femi couldn't wait to get back to her peaceful sleep again.

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The humid air fluttered in through the half-open window and caressed Femi's skin. The bruise upon her cheek was a soft pink, with small blotches of clotted blood, but nothing wildly obvious, and the small upon her forehead was nothing more than a mere cream line. She was healing well, considering everything she had gone through, physically. Her relaxed eyes watched the sandy landscape stroll on by, and a large flock of grey birds fly over the jeep, casting delicate shadows upon the floor. The afternoon sun was now developing into an evening one, and so the sky was threatening to transform into a tepid blush.

Femi inhaled a tender, comfortable breath and dragged her lazy hand up to stroke aside one of her black curls that had fumbled into her face under the influence of the controlling wind. She would have done the window up, but it felt so nice...

"How far up did you say the dock was, Erk, old buddy?" Carter called from the tail bed of the truck.

Erk glanced back at them in his mirror and smirked lightly in his own amusement. Jonathan and Carter both had squinted eyes for protection from the wind, with their hair and shirts fluttering about, and the sand from beneath the wheels often brushing up over the sides of the trunk. They looked uncomfortable, at that. But, after all, they were the ones who stated how 'experienced' they were, and that riding in the back would be a piece of cake. They were both too stubborn to give in and just ask to come into the front.

Erk shook his head slightly and looked ahead again "Not too far, now. Just around the bend."

"That's what he said over an hour ago." Jonathan grunted to Carter, and Carter nodded in agreement.

Femi turned her head and leant it upon her hand, propping her elbow at the window. She looked up front, out of the window, and saw the road coming to what seemed like an end. She soon discovered that it, instead, turned into a slope which led the group down towards the dock at the beach. Everyone sat up straight in their seats and became a lot more aware once they noticed the few other cars nearby. In fact... the dock was packed. There were a number of large boats resting against the shore, and all but one of them was completely left alone. A grubby, brown boat was being loaded onto by a number of passengers who were walking up the bridge. Crates and large luggage cases were being hoisted up into the cargo by ropes, controlled by the dock workers, whilst some of them shouted orders.

Femi leant back in her seat whilst looking out of her window at the other cars parked next to each other "Erm... Mister Erk, sir... I thought you said there were going to be a 'few' others?"

"Well, er" Erk cleared his throat and shifted in his seat "When I said a 'few', I mean"--

"A lot." Alex interrupted sourly.

Erik chuckled dryly and pulled up to park next to the sandy hillside. He turned the engine off once he had moved the car into an appropriate position and winded his window up, just as Femi did. Carter and Jonathan sighed in relief that the journey was finally over and hopped out onto the ground. Erk opened his door and stepped out, moving to Femi's door, and opened it for her. She paused for a moment to accept just how many other people they would be sharing the boat with. She felt so uneasy, what with their situation. If anyone were to find out, a lot of trouble could brew up.

"What, you've never been on a boat before either, hey Femi?" Alex's ridiculing voice called out; Femi looked over at him to see him standing at his door which was still wide open "And I thought you intelligent girls had done it all."

He smirked, and closed the door before she could retaliate to his rude behaviour. Instead, she growled angrily, and whipped her head away from his door. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction. She stepped out of the car and brushed herself down and fixed her hair softly. Erk chuckled under his breath and closed her door behind her.

"I was obviously mistaken with the two of you" He told her "You don't seem too fond of his sense of humour."

Femi sighed "You can't argue with children or idiots, Mr. Erk. I just keep to myself, and let him think he's won."

"Think?" Alex laughed as he passed them "I know."

Femi rolled her eyes behind Alex's back and Erk smirked at the two of them. He looked Femi up and down knowingly, and she leant back in question. Erk ignored her request for an explanation, however, and turned away to walk on after Alex. Femi blinked. What did he know that she didn't? Oh, well, there was no use fussing over something that she would never find out.

"Come on, old mum. We want to get the best seats in the house!" Carter chuckled as he passed Femi.

Femi sighed softly and followed him and Jonathan towards the boat. She folded her arms across her chest and felt the red bag sitting securely within her shirt. As they approached the wooden bridge leading up onto the boat, Femi found herself surrounded by busy, loud men preparing for sail. They were rushing here and there with sacks over their shoulders, boxes in their arms and trolleys being pulled along behind them, and to Femi's surprise, hardly any of them seemed to be joining her and the others on the boat as passengers. Femi couldn't believe what a big crew there was.

"Afternoon, ma'am." A rather handsome, American man said to Femi as she passed, and tipped his beige hat politely.

Femi blinked in surprise and looked back at him. He flashed her a charming smile, and Femi turned away with her cheeks flushing. Another man passed her, this time looking a little more refined, and tipped his hat just as politely with his own dashing smile.

"Miss." He greeted her.

Femi's cheeks flushed even more, and she kept her eyes glued to the ground. She wasn't used to this at all. Fair enough, it was only two men who had greeted her so unexpectedly, but back at home, Femi had never been greeted by a stranger like that. Never. Femi moved up next to her brother and linked her arm with his like a vulnerable child. She could feel many eyes upon her, and didn't really like it.

Carter raised an eyebrow down at her "Something the matter?"

Femi shook her head "No, I just... can't I hold arms with my own brother?"

"Mmmm'yeah..." Carter sighed, still rather suspicious "I suppose."

Femi nodded "Right then."

"This way, people, keep up!" Erk called from ahead.

Alex, Jonathan, Femi and Carter formed into a line and carefully walked up the bridge. Femi gripped the roped railings tightly and peered down at the salty, green water that was splashing up against the side of the boat excitedly. She took a deep breath in through her nose and felt the unfamiliar, magical smell of the salty water. Believe it or not, Femi had never been on a boat, in the sea...


	29. Sexist Sailors

Femi reached the end of the bridge and hopped onto the long walkway that led down the side of the ship's deck, from the front to the back. She flicked her hair back over her shoulder and sighed happily, turning to gaze out at the shore. A few men caught her eye and smiled sweetly, but Femi pretended she hadn't seen and quickly turned away.

"Right, this way, I'll lead you to your cabins." Erk announced.

Erk moved to the stairway entrance just behind him which led to the downstairs level, and Jonathan and Carter followed. Femi was about to walk with them when someone walked across her path, preventing her from moving. She looked up and saw a pair of handsome, blue eyes glance down at her from underneath the rim of a brown, scruffy hat. The man pinched the tip of it as a greeting to Femi, and smiled, just as the others had. Femi pressed herself back against the ledge behind her and turned her head away from the man as he passed. The man brushed past Alex, who was watching from the doorway of the staircase, and smirked at him, looking him up and down. As he trotted down the stairs Alex made sure to give him a nasty little glare from behind with his nose wrinkled.

Femi took a breath and turned her head back. She stroked her hair down and tried to act as casually as possible. She suddenly felt rather uncomfortable on this boat. She walked over to where Alex was standing and made to go down the stairs, but as she passed Alex, he looked over at her, and their eyes connected. Alex's eyes were intense and Femi was rather taken back. She paused, if only for a second, before breaking their gaze and going down the steps to the downstairs hallway. Alex rolled his eyes and snickered, and followed on behind her.

What had all that been about?

Femi looked left and right down each hallway next to her and just spotted Jonathan turn around the next corner on his right. Femi set off down the hall and followed around the turning, and spotted him not too far up ahead. Femi jogged up to him and sighed lightly. At least she wasn't lost. Femi glanced over her shoulder and saw Alex turn around the corner. As she watched him, she wasn't aware that Erk had brought the line to a halt, and so she collided straight into the back of Jonathan with a little 'ouph'.

"Careful, pet, we don't want you hurting those little bones of yours." Jonathan smiled back at her.

Femi straightened herself out and rolled her eyes. Why did everyone keep assuming that she was 'weak' and 'little'? Like a child.

"I'm afraid all I've got is these three rooms here. The others have been snatched up already" Erk called out, and looked down the line at everyone "I'm sure you can all come to some sort of an agreement."

Alex suddenly slipped past Femi to get to one of the rooms, and she jumped back with a little gasp. Alex glanced down at her and smirked. He found her sudden jittery behaviour rather amusing - perhaps even interesting.

"I won't bite." He teased.

Femi huffed and looked away from him with her arms folding across her chest again. Alex smirked again and walked away to go to the first door on his left.

"I'll take this room" He demanded, and then turned to look at Jonathan and Carter whilst standing in the doorway "You two can share."

"Why do we always get the crummy options?" Jonathan complained with a pout.

Alex smiled "Because I'm in charge, and I say so."

With that, he stepped into his room and closed the door behind him. Femi took the soft silent moment to slip past Jonathan and Carter and open the door to the second bedroom. The two of them looked over their shoulders just the last minute, and Femi shot them a bright, little smile.

"Thank you, boys!" She sweetly said.

She then closed the door right away before either of the two of them could whinge their protests against the arrangement. Erk held his hands up innocently and, with lifted eyebrows, slipped past the two speechless young men and wandered off towards the turning.

"Hey, we need bath's too, you know! What are we supposed to do??" Carter called out before he could escape.

Erk flinched, having been caught, and turned around halfway to look at them. He looked back and forth from the two of them for a moment, and then shrugged cluelessly.

"Make a rota?" He suggested sarcastically.

He walked off with an amused snort and left Jonathan and Carter to stare at each other both uncomfortably and miserably. This was going to be one hell of a boat ride for them.

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The door closed behind Femi and she released a heavy, relaxed sigh as the warmth of her room wrapped around her. She unfolded her arms and stepped further into the room to take everything in. She was quite fond of the bed, with the pine-wood doors that closed out around it to act as some privacy. Almost like curtains.

Femi wandered further into the room with a delicate smile growing bigger and bigger. She moved over to the window and pinched the edge of the white, knitted curtain and pulled it aside. She was on the starboard side of the boat and could see just over the edge of the concrete shore; feet connected to ankles were rushing by, and loud voices were echoing against the glass. Femi bit her bottom lip with slight excitement and turned away from the window.

She walked over to her bed and ran her fingertip along the engraved pattern of the built-in wardrobe. Femi giggled softly and turned her attention to her large, comfortable bed. She knelt upon it and crawled up to where the pillows were. She turned onto her side and pulled out the red bag which contained their money and the Diamond Heart, and slid it underneath her pillows, where it was safe. She patted it gently with her hand and then crawled back off of the bed.

She sat on the end of it for a moment with her hands in her lap, just looking around. She felt safe, now. Once the boat pulled away from shore and began bobbing on the water, she knew nothing but an unlikely storm could harm her or the others. It seemed that every time they reached a new safe place, Meela and her men found them and almost succeeded in killing them. But not here. Not on the open water. There was no way.

During Femi's moment of reflective peace, the floor beneath her suddenly began to rumble softly. She looked down and felt and heard it growing louder and louder, until finally, there was a loud shout from outside and the boat jerked to one side; Femi swayed to one side, but remained sitting upright with no struggle. She stood up from the bed and walked over to the window to look outside. The boat was now sailing away from the dock. A tender, grateful smile pinched at the corner of her little lips, and her head tilted to one side slightly.

"Try and catch us now." She whispered to herself.

Femi felt as though a huge weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. From here on, it was going to be nothing but a smooth, easy journey to their destination in The Valley of Death. What a welcoming name, though...

Three abrupt knocks on the door interrupted Femi's delicate fairwell, and she let go of the curtain to let it fall back into place. She walked over to her door and leant against it with her side.

"Who is it?" She called.

"It's me, Carter." Her brother called back.

Femi smiled and opened the door to let him enter. He had a white towel folded over his arm and didn't have any shoes upon his feet. He looked rather... grumpy. Femi closed the door and watched him patiently, waiting for an explanation.

Carter sighed "Can I use your shower?"

Femi smiled in amusement "I take it you and Jonathan couldn't agree to taking turns?"

"That bloody mongrel stole the bathroom whilst I was unpacking. The cheek" Carter grunted "Well, I wondered, seeing as you had a shower just yesterday, if I could use yours quickly? I won't be long."

Femi took a deep breath in and rolled her eyes. She stretched out her arm and held her hand out in the direction of the door next to her bed.

"Go ahead." She sighed.

Carter smiled "Nice one, Femi-doodles."

He planted a quick peck on her cheek before skipping into the bathroom, chuckling merrily. Femi giggled softly and shook her head. Her eyes found the window again, and for some reason, the fact that she was sailing on a boat had only just seemed to hit her. She was sailing on a boat! Femi smiled to herself and looked over at the bathroom door, which was now shut.

"Carter, I'm going to take a stroll up on deck, I won't be long, ok?" She notified him.

"Got it!" Carter called back, busy with his shower.

Femi opened the door and left into the hallway. Closing it behind her, just as the sound of spraying water echoed out from the bathroom, Femi turned right and walked to the end of the hall. The turned right again at the end of that hall, and the staircase was immediately in view. One of the passengers strolled past and ignored her, to her relief. Femi stepped out into the hall after they had passed and quickly jogged up the steps to arrive on deck. The gentle wind danced with her curls and caressed her bare legs tenderly. She had never felt at such ease. Femi, smiling, walked up the side of the boat and found the very front of the deck, where the turquoise Ocean was stretched out before them.

Femi walked towards the end and stepped up onto the thicker layer of flooring. She reached the ledge and placed her hands upon it to keep herself at balance. The strong, fresh wind stroked her face and twirled her curls behind her, and the smell of the sea wished her fears and worries away. Although there really was so much to worry about, Femi couldn't help but just... step into a dream. No pain. No sadness. No unrealistic truths. Just the open sea, and the wind.

"Well, well, well" A voice interrupted "If I may ask, ma'am, what's a little lady like yourself doing up here all by herself?"

Femi snapped out of her pleasurable trance and looked over her shoulder, pulling her curls back. There stood a man wearing an attire suitable for someone like an explorer or archaeologist. He had a beige hat upon his ash-blonde haired head, and his eyes were squinted curiously at Femi, with his arms folded across his chest proudly. Femi turned around to face him and raised an eyebrow.

"Pardon me?" She asked.

The man smiled "You should be careful, being up here on your own, ma'am. Anything could happen."

The man had a strong Texas accent, and a strong attitude, too. Femi stared at the man in complete scepticism.

"Oh? And what things exactly?" She asked, secretly sceptical.

The man slowly stepped towards her "Well now... the wind could swoop you over board... and we wouldn't want your pretty little clothes getting wet now, would we?"

Femi leant back slightly. He wasn't close, but he was definitely close enough. Femi looked him up and down with disinterest and then diverted around him.

"Well, I appreciate your concern." She grumbled.

The man turned to watch her go "Maybe I should stick around, just in case."

Femi laughed softly and shot a sarcastic smile over her shoulder at him "I assure you, Sir, I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself"--- "Ouph!"

Femi knocked straight into someone and stumbled backwards with a gasp. She would have fallen over, too, if it hadn't been for the strong and familiar arms that caught her before she leant over too far. Femi found herself looking up into the apple-green eyes of no other than Alex. She straightened herself out and pushed his hands away with embarrassment.

"You should watch where you're going, you know." Alex stated dryly.

Femi sighed, snapping "Yes, thank you, Alex."

The other man smiled and held his hands out "That's exactly what I told her. Miss -- allow me to escort you back to your room, where it's safe. The deck is surely no place for a refined, purdy' lady such as yourself."

Femi brushed herself down and kept her back to him "No, thank you."

Alex looked over Femi's shoulder and surveyed the man sourly. He already disliked him, and for a reason he just couldn't put his finger on. Femi looked up at Alex and sighed.

"What are you doing up here, anyhow? I thought you were busy unpacking." She questioned.

Alex kept staring at the other man behind her "I was. I finished, and wanted some air. I could say the same thing to you. What're you wandering about up here for?"

Femi rolled her eyes "I had no idea you agreed with this 'charming' gentleman behind me. Well, if you think the deck is no place for a lady, perhaps I shall just return to my cabin and stay there until our arrival."

With that, Femi pushed past Alex and stormed off back down the side of the ship towards the staircase. The blonde haired man removed his hat from his head and strolled over to Alex with a bitter little smile. A taunting smile.

"Say..." The man began "Are you and her, like... you know."

Alex turned away from him with a roll of his eyes, and didn't bother answering. He walked off down the opposite side of the ship from Femi to go to the back of the ship where he could get some fresh air, away from Prince Charming over there. The man smirked to himself and, placing his hat back on his head, was greeted with two other men who had been sitting on the ledges of the boat, watching the scene that had just taken place.

Femi marched back into her bedroom and slammed the door shut behind her. It hardly banged, however. She brought her hands to her head and scratched her scalp stressfully, huffing and puffing breathlessly. She wavered over to her bed and then plopped herself down on the end of it with an angry grunt.

The door to the bathroom opened and Carter came out with a towel wrapped around his waist, and another around his neck. He saw Femi sitting there, and the expression upon her face, and watched her curiously.

"Did I miss something?" He asked.

Femi's nose wrinkled angrily, and she held her hands up "Why do men have to be such... such..."-

"Men?" Carter finished for her.

Femi slapped her hands down into her lap "Exactly! They think the whole world revolves around them and their egos. I mean, honestly!"

Carter watched her breathe angrily in her seat for a moment. When she finally calmed down, Femi stroked her forehead and shook her head, sighing. Carter smiled in understanding and sat down next to Femi. He lightly slapped his hand down on top of hers and gave it a light squeeze. Femi looked up at him with a tiny frown.

"As hard as it is for me to tell you this, Femi..."- Carter paused for a moment.

Femi raised her eyebrows curiously. She anticipated his answer. What was the problem?

"You're not a little girl anymore" He finished "You're a grown, beautiful, fiery, sexy lady! OWW!" He sang.

Femi gasped in shock, and then broke out in a fit of giggles and pounced on her brother. She swiped up the pillow above her and whacked him over and over with it until he managed to restrain her, and push her off the bed. Carter laughed his ass off on the bed and Femi sat up on her knees to watch him, still smiling. Femi laid her arms along the edge of the bed and sat her chin upon the back of her hand. Carter calmed his laughter and rolled onto his side to prop himself up with his elbow. They both watched each other for a moment with tender smiles. As Femi watched her brother, the ghostly form of her mother's face became clearer and clearer. Femi was forced to look away, and sat herself up on the bed.

"I'm just tired, I suppose." Femi sighed.

Carter sighed and got off of the bed to continue drying himself. Femi tucked her curls behind her hair and looked over at him.

"Get some rest. You can sleep as long as you want on here." Carter told her.

Femi smiled softly and nodded "Yeah..."

Carter winked and made for the door "See you later, old mum."

Femi waved lazily and watched Carter leave. When the door shut behind him, Femi was left to be engulfed in the warm silence of her cabin room once more. Her eyes trailed down to her lap where she started fiddling with her skirt. Now that she was finally free to do as she pleased, and sleep, and just do anything apart from adventurous tasks and stunts...

She felt rather bored.

Although she wouldn't admit it to herself, and could barely feel the boredom within her... she felt something. Something stopping her from just falling down upon the bed and slipping into a deep sleep that she had so desired for the past few days.

What was happening to Femi Reynolds, the simple librarian?

Femi growled out loudly and brought her hands to her face. She massaged it comfortingly and fell back onto her bed to stare up at the ceiling. She remained gazing up at the wooden roof for a few seconds, and then rolled onto her side, and curled up into a comfortable little ball. She wouldn't allow thoughts like that to enter her mind. She hadn't changed at all. She was still that Femi Reynolds, the simple librarian.

... Wasn't she?


	30. Bad Gambling

Author's Notes**: _Ok, so this chapter is a little longer than most, but don't let it intimidate you! It's only about 3 pages more on 'Word' than usual. Please, do read it, in your own time _**

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Hours had passed since the boat had set sail from the dock in Turkey. The sun had set, and was now hidden, and the sky was a pale grey colour, moving onto blue, signalling that night was just around the corner. The half moon was almost at its highest point, but it still wasn't at its brightest yet, although it still shimmered upon the waves of the black sea beneath it, and the stars were beginning to show through the thin, misty clouds.

Femi lay in a comfortable twist in the center of her bed with her hands above her head and her curls neatly spread around her pale face. She had obviously fallen asleep, when she hadn't expected to. The glow of the brightening moon crept through the knitted curtains against the window, but hardly lit up the room. It was almost pitch black. The engines of the ship were at a softer volume and vibration now, and the echoes of occasional laughter came through the ceiling from the deck above and mixed with the delicate lapping of the waves against the wall of the ship (Femi's cabin).

A deep groan came through the ceiling which sounded very similar to a chair being pulled across the wooden floor. It was so loud and sudden that it awoke Femi from her relaxing slumber, and she jerked into consciousness with a little gasp. She shot upright and whipped her head left and right with her eyes wide and wary. Once she realised where she was, and remembered what was going on, she relaxed somewhat and released an impatient sigh to herself.

She sat up and let her legs hang over the end of the bed as she rubbed the back of her neck. For Femi, Every single sound meant that Meela and those men could be standing right over her. She was almost growing paranoid now. But just because she was, it didn't mean they weren't out to get her. Femi heard some more loud laughter from above and looked up at the dark ceiling. The waves of the water outside reflected through the window and danced in silky, thin arms above her. She smiled softly; the sight soothed her.

Femi took a deep breath in and stood to her feet where she gave a big, refreshing stretch of her arms and legs. She straightened herself out, and after looking around for a second check, she decided that she didn't actually want to be cooped up in her bedroom. She opened the door to the hallway and the warm light from the burning oil lamps were suddenly so blinding. Femi held her hand up to protect her eyes and closed her door behind her. It didn't take long for her eyes to adjust to the different brightness in light, and so by the time she had walked to the end of the hall, she was able to spot the stairs quite easily.

She calmly walked up the steps and made it to the top in no time. She stepped out onto the deck's walkway and felt a strong shiver rush down her spine as the night's air surrounded her. She folded her arms tightly across her front and shrugged her shoulders up to keep her neck warm. It was colder than she had expected it to be. Probably because of the water beneath them. Femi walked up to the ledge before her and peered over to the side to watched the black, salty water splashing up against the ship as it sped through it.

"I wouldn't lean too far if I were you." A familiar voice advised.

Femi leant back and turned around curiously. There stood old Erk with a merry smile upon his face. His cheeks were tinted with a pink blush and his eyes looked... tired.

"We wouldn't want you falling overboard now, would we!" He laughed.

As soon as his breath wandered past her in the wind, Femi knew that he had been drinking. She could smell it strongly. Not that she was surprised or blaming him, because it was only expected from a few passengers on the boat. Femi tucked some curls behind her ear and gave Erk a genuine smile.

"Mr. Erk, I just wanted to thank you, again, for all your help. You don't understand just how much this means to me. To all of us." She told him.

Erk smiled proudly and waved his hand "It's a pleasure, my darlin', a pleasure. I don't wannu' 'ear another thank you out of it."

Femi chuckled softly and nodded in understanding. Erk winked, and then walked past her, but turned back to look at her one last time.

"Feel free to come up and join us all on the next level. There's a heated round of cards going on, and one fellow, comes along, loaded with all this money - losing almost every penny of it!" He laughed.

Yes... Erk was quite tipsy. Perhaps even more than that. Ok, frankly, he was really drunk.

Femi smiled softly "Well, thank you; maybe later?"

Erk nodded and walked down the isle to reach the second set of stairs. Femi turned away after had had disappeared into the stairway and sighed dreamily. She leant forwards at the ledge again and rested her arms upon the wooden surface of it. Her curls wavered in the wind, and now, Femi's skin was beginning to adjust to the chilly, strong wind. In fact, she was starting to feel awfully relaxed... strangely relaxed.

The air itself transformed into a humid, exotic breeze that kissed Femi's now glossy, bronzed skin. She was staring out at the creamy, sunset sky with a gentle smile playing across her lips. She could feel her servants fanning her with large, white, feathered palms, and she could hear her father's entertainer playing a melody with his flute. Femi felt safe. She was at home...

"Dammit!" A loud voice yelled.

Femi gasped to herself and jumped away from the ledge. She looked left and right in a little panic and found herself back on the boat, at night, with no servants fanning her or any music playing. Femi brought her hands to her cheeks and sighed poorly to herself. It was another one of her 'visions'.

"You can't do that!" The same voice shouted; it was no ordinary voice - it was Carter's.

Femi turned around with her back to the ledge and looked up towards the second level. Carter was up there playing cards? But then... - Femi's mind began ticking, and she ran over Erk's invitation to watch the 'heated card game'...

_"... and one fellow, comes along, loaded with all this money - losing almost every penny of it!" He laughed._

Femi inhaled a long, furious gasp and her eyes widened "No!"

Why hadn't Erk told her it was her foolish brother?! It was all that bloody alcohol swimming in his stomach - that was why! Femi pushed away from the ledge and rushed down towards the staircase. She ran up them as quickly as she could and burst out onto the new sidewalk. Looking to her left, she looked up the wide walkway and spotted a small group of men crowded around a table which was seated at by two men, playing cards. One of them was Carter, facing her. He looked... utterly miserable. As pale as a ghost.

"Come on, Carter, it's your last shot! You can do it old chap!" Jonathan's voice egged him on.

Femi filled with anxious anger and the marched towards the group, careless of any of the other men who had just noticed her approaching. She pushed past two of them and looked down at the table. The thick piles of money that had once been in the red bag under Femi's pillow were now stacked in the center of the table, and the man in front of her was chuckling happily down at his set of cards. He was winning all of it. Carter stared up at Femi nervously whilst Jonathan took the moment of observation to try and sneak away. Femi was too quick for him, however, and shot her arm out to stop him passing.

"What do you think you're doing?!" She shouted.

The men watching the game all exchanged amused, interested looks with each other and shifted comfortably. One man took a toothpick out from his mouth and stepped over to Femi with his hand held out to shake hers.

"Why, hello there miss, I'm"--

Femi rolled her eyes "I hardly care to know of who you are at this precise moment."

The man was quite taken back by her bitter answer. Femi turned her attention back onto her brother and frowned shamefully.

"Gambling? With _our_ money??" She yelped.

Carter glanced down at the piles of money, and then glanced around nervously at everyone else. He was actually more embarrassed than anything. His jaw opened and closed for a moment as he tried to think of some kind of defence, and then he finally spoke.

"They made me do it!" He shouted.

Femi rolled her eyes and sighed. Her brother was practically hopeless in virtually every single way. Femi leant down to the table and began collecting up the piles of money. The man sitting opposite Carter sat up in his seat and snatched out, grabbing her wrist.

"Where d'you think you're going with my money, little lady?" He asked in at threatening tone.

Femi looked over at him. He had dark brown hair pulled back into a pony tail and was smoking a cigar. He had stubble around his chin from not having shaved in a while, and there was a silky, peach scar slanting down his left, tanned cheek.

"I beg your pardon, sir, but I believe this money still belongs to me. My brother here had no right taking my money and gambling with it - he received no permission from me, and so therefore, legally, it still belongs to me." Femi explained confidently, even though, deep down, she was awfully nervous.

The man smirked, and a few others chuckled "Oh does it now? Says who? _You_?"

Erk stepped up next to Femi and glared down at the man "She's right, Roy. Let the lady collect her money and go."

The man, Roy, looked upon Erk for a moment. Femi waited anxiously for Roy to release her wrist, but his grip wasn't softening.

"I won this money fair n' square" Roy snapped "It belongs to me."

Erk puffed his chest out "I won't tell you twice, Roy."

Roy narrowed his eyes and rose to his feet with Femi's wrist still locked within his hand. Femi was now in a panic. She snapped her eyes over onto Carter and they widened nervously.

"Get Alex!" She hissed.

Carter nodded and quickly stood up, only to receive a pair of hands on his shoulders, slamming him back down in his seat quite forcefully. Carter looked over his shoulders to see one of Roy's buddies glaring down at him emotionlessly. Carter smiled innocently and looked away, turning his smile into a frown of worry.

Femi tugged on her hand "I would appreciate it if-... if you would let go of my hand. Please."

"This here money is mine." Roy growled and blew smoke in Erk's face; Erk didn't even blink.

"I believe the lady asked you to let her go." A new voice snapped out.

Everyone looked over, and Femi smiled prosperously at the sight of Alex standing there. His eyes were burning darkly, and he was stiff with impatience, his shoulders slightly hunched. Roy narrowed his eyes, and then nodded to one of his friends nearby. The friend nodded back and walked over towards Alex, cracking his knuckles.

"Come on now, let's be civilised gentleman" Jonathan chuckled nervously "There's no need for any fists here. Let's settle this like mature adults."

Roy finally let go of Femi's wrist and she pulled it back to rub it gently. Erk placed a hand on her shoulder and stepped in front of her protectively. The tension hung in the air, hot and bubbling. Most of the men here were under the influence of alcohol, which meant they had no patience, and could be rather hostile. Femi, Carter, Jonathan and Erk watched Alex and his challenger in anticipation, waiting for something to happen.

"That money belongs to the lady." Alex snapped past the man, to Roy.

Roy smirked and removed his cigar from his mouth. He flicked it overboard and stepped out from in front of his chair.

"Come and take it, then." He dared him.

Alex didn't wait to accept the dare. He marched straight past the other man and moved towards the table. Roy waited calmly as though nothing was bothering him. Femi shot Carter a furious glare, and he flashed her an apologetic, hopeful smile in return. She ignored it. Alex reached down to pick up a pile of money, but before his finger tips could even brush against it, Roy slapped his hand away and suddenly threw a might punch to his face. Femi jumped, in a gasp, and clenched her hands tightly. That was it. It had kicked off between them.

Alex stumbled back, and Femi and Erk jumped in order to avoid him crashing into them. Alex quickly caught his balance and rammed into Roy and wrapped his arms around his waist, and Roy lifted off of the ground and began slamming his fists down onto Alex's back. Alex turned and charged into the wall where Roy was pinned in between the two, and he growled out in pain. Alex let him go and stepped back to allow him to wobble here and there, windless, and keeled over in aching pain. Roy unexpectedly swung another punch to Alex which caught him off guard, and he knocked into the table and sent a couple of empty beer bottles smashing to the floor.

Erk ran into the center of the fight and grabbed Alex by the shoulders to keep him back. Roy's friends were quickly at his side and doing the same thing. If the fight continued, the whole deck was going to get torn to pieces, along with the fighters themselves. Alex struggled to get past Erk and finish the job, whilst Roy smiled tauntingly at him from the other side, teasing him. Alex spat a load of blood onto the floor just inches away from Roy's boot, and sent him a death glare.

"Leave it, son, iss' over. Not worth it, you'd murder him." Erk muttered harshly in Alex's ear.

Femi brought her hands down from her perturbed face "Alex!"

Alex looked away from Roy, and over at her. Seeing the pleading look upon her face, he finally gave up struggling, and growled in defeat. Femi sighed, relieved, and brushed her hair back from her face. Alex yanked himself free of Erk's grip and strolled away towards the stairs, wiping blood from his lips, and rubbing a sore shoulder. Femi sheepishly skipped past Roy and his buddies without making any eye contact and followed after him.

"Carter, Jonathan!" She called back angrily.

The two of them cleared their throats with slight embarrassment, and nodded casually to the enemies as they passed. They just glared at them carelessly. Erk pointed at Roy at arms length and turned to one side threateningly.

"Another stunt like that on my boat, n' I'll 'ave you and your boys thrown over board. Do I make myself clear?" He snapped.

Roy smiled menacingly and revealed his bloody teeth "Crystal."

Erk looked around at the other few men to let them know that his warning applied to them as well. They stood their ground, but nodded. He turned away and stalked off down the walkway behind Jonathan and Carter, leaving the others to recompose themselves and move on with their night.

Femi jumped down the last step on the stairway and looked left and right in search of Alex. He was pacing down the isle towards the back deck of the boat. She could hear him cursing viciously to himself whilst wiping his mouth and flicking the blood away. Femi kicked off into a little jog and quickly caught up behind him.

"Alex"--

"What??" He snapped.

Femi stopped walking for a moment and frowned at him. Why was he being so cold and snappy now? What had she done so wrong? Femi sighed softly and carried on following him, all the way to the end of the ship. Alex walked up to the edge and leant against it with his side, propping his elbow on the surface, and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. His brow was creased sourly and his eyes were still narrowed as he glared out at the night. He looked as though he was contemplating, as well as trying to get over his anger. Femi cautiously wandered up behind him and locked her hands in front of her stomach innocently. She watched him with her head tilted to the side until he decided to acknowledge her present by glancing at her.

"Are you alright?" She asked.

Alex snickered and showed her the blood on his finger tips "Peachy."

Femi looked down at the floor and sighed "You didn't have to fight, you know."

"What would you have done if you got punched in the jaw?" He snapped.

"You didn't have to retaliate. It was your choice." Femi shot back.

Alex sneered and shook his head irritably "Look, if you're here to argue with me, then I'm not interested. Just go back to your room."

Femi paused again. Alex looked out at the shimmering sea. The half-moon was now at its highest peak in the midnight-blue sky, and the stars were twinkling grandly. The silver light of the moon danced upon Alex's and Femi's faces, and the gentle wind caressed them comfortingly. Femi could smell the strong salt lifting from the surface of the sea, and the whispering waves brought a sense of calm to the tension. Femi brought a hand up and curled some hair behind her ear.

"Thank you." She suddenly said.

Alex blinked, and raised an eyebrow. Femi produced a fragile, yet genuine, smile, and gave him a meaningful nod. Alex watched her thoughtfully.

"That's... why I'm here. To thank you." She muttered.

She suddenly started feeling awfully shy, and had to look down again. Alex couldn't help but allow a little smile tweak in the corner of his bloody lip. Was she blushing?

"There you two are!" Jonathan panted, breaking the odd, heated moment "We went to the bloody other end of the boat to find you, and yet here you were!" He laughed, all dandy-pansy, as though everything was perfectly fine.

Femi and Alex looked over and saw Jonathan and Carter jog onto the deck. Erk had probably gone off to drink some more and tell the few crewman aboard to keep an eye upon Roy and his buddies. Femi's face stiffened again and she folded her arms across her chest authoritatively. Alex just looked away from them bitterly. Jonathan and Carter both paused and pouted.

"What?" Jonathan asked cluelessly.

"You took the money, Jonathan, that's what. You took the money from my bedroom, and used it to gamble with. Both of you. Now it's gone. _All_ of it." She growled.

Jonathan swallowed guiltily and looked over at Carter. They both knew they had done wrong. Femi unfolded her arms and threw her hands up in the air.

"Well say something!" She demanded.

"We didn't think we'd lose it..." Carter began to explain "Me and Jonathan, teamed together... We were sure we'd win. All we wanted to do was double what we had, to make the journey better."

Femi shook her head at them "We had all the money we needed. What made you think that the money we already possessed wasn't enough for our journey to be accommodated well enough?"

Carter and Jonathan kept silent. They couldn't answer. They were just having some stupid fun that blew completely out of proportion.

"You're so irresponsible, the pair of you... when are you going to just grow up?" Femi sighed.

The answer: never. Femi rubbed her forehead stressfully and started pacing slowly back and forth. They had no money now, and there was no way they were going to get it back without Roy and his friends putting up some kind of a fight. He seemed awfully strict about the rules of games. Fair and square, so he implied it.

"We can manage" Alex spoke, sighing "When we get off this boat, it's just a camel ride across the desert, and then we're there."

Femi glared over at him "We haven't paid Erk yet for any of this, and how do you expect us to acquire ourselves with some camels without any money??"

Alex turned to look over at her and smirked "... We could sell you, for starters. I don't think it would take very long."

Jonathan and Carter stifled their snorting laughter, and Femi gasped in offence, her jaw dropping. She looked back and forth from the three of them and shook her head in disgrace. How could they be so relaxed about the whole situation?

"I don't think you quite understand how important this situation is. _We have no money_. No money!" She snapped and stomped her foot impatiently.

"Careful with that foot, Femi - you break it, you bought it." Alex teased.

Jonathan and Carter started laughing again. Femi stared at Alex with bemused, shocked eyes. He was far too relaxed, and far too rude. She looked back and forth from the three of them again and composed herself.

"Fine. You three can just stand around and amuse yourselves with the pestilential situation we are now in, but _I_..." She paused and lifted her chin proudly "...am going to bed."

She whipped her head away and brought her body in turn, and strutted back down the side of the ship to return to her room. Alex smirked lightly to himself whilst watching after her, and then shook his head. That girl really was amusing.

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Femi marched on down the walkway with her destined staircase approaching. She shook her head angrily and cursed those three boys under her breath. They really had some nerve. As Femi passed the staircase which led up onto the second deck, she heard the sound of bottles clinking, and a deep, boastful laugh.

"Well, it seems that drinks are on me tonight, boys!" The cocky voice of Roy laughed out.

Femi's anger boiled even more. He was going to spend her father's money on drinking? Oh, no he wasn't! Not by Femi's rules. Femi took a deep, confident breath in and pressed her hands to her stomach, which now had butterflies fluttering around them. She was going to make sure that Roy didn't spend one penny of it.

She turned into the stairway and calmly walked up the steps to the next floor which was lit up by large oil lamps, hanging from both the ceiling above, the pillars on the ledges, the walls and through the windows of the other rooms and compartments. Femi moved up the last step and arrived within sight of a few of the men facing her. They stopped laughing and stared over at her curiously. The rest of them followed, and finally, Roy looked round, wondering what was going on.

Femi stood there for a moment and had second thoughts on what she was about to do. But she knew it was the only way to get the money back... and no way was she going to have Alex, Carter or Jonathan do it. She needed them to be able to fight, if they needed to (which she was hoping she wouldn't). Femi sighed and walked towards the group of handsome, interested men and stopped in front of Roy, who was now sitting again, with his hands resting upon Femi's money.

He raised an eyebrow "Can I help you?"

His question had a tone that was far too crude for it to have been a genuine question. Femi knew what he was implying. She rolled her eyes and sighed, fiddling with her hands.

"You obviously like to bet, and compete." She stated.

He nodded "You could say that! Right boys?"

His friends all laughed and knocked their beer bottles together in agreement. Femi looked around at them all, fairly nervously.

"You play by the rules, fair and square. No cheating, no going back on your word." She stated again.

Roy sipped on his whiskey bottle "What're you getting at?"

Femi waited for a moment. She took a deep breath in, and then released it again. Her butterflies were going mad within her stomach. She slipped past a couple of the men and moved around to the other side of the table where the spare chair was. Sitting down in it, she tucked herself in, and crossed her legs, and stared sternly over at Roy.

"I challenge you... to drink" She announced "Last person standing takes the money. _All_ of it."

Everyone stared at her in a perplexed silence for a moment. They then broke out into a roar of laughter together, knocking their beers, slapping their legs, and stomping their feet. Femi kept a strong posture and ignored their animal-like behaviour. She kept staring over at Roy without a single ounce of doubt in her gentle eyes. Roy's laughing faltered and he narrowed his eyes.

"I decline. Drinkin' is no sport for a little lady such as yourself." He chuckled.

Femi rolled her eyes "Will you all stop assuming that just because I'm a woman it means I'm little?"

"I meant no offence, sweet'eart... but you're still a woman. You can't handle a drink." He teased, and everyone laughed.

Femi placed her hands on the table and leant forwards, smirking, unlike herself "...If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're just afraid that you might lose to a woman."

Everyone stopped laughing then. Roy stared back at Femi as his mind ticked in decision. Her words had hit his ego hard, just as she had hoped. Roy looked her up and down, and a tender smirk mirrored back at Femi's. Slapping his hand down on the table, Femi jumped slightly, and Roy's friends took out their alcohol containers and bottles from the inside pockets of their jackets, and set them down on the table.

"I accept" Roy whispered "But don't say I didn't warn you..."


	31. A Little Tipsy

Alex came to the top step of the staircase and sighed heavily. Rubbing the back of his neck, he moved out onto the balcony area and leant his side against the ledge. He had been searching the boat for over twenty minutes now, and he couldn't find Femi anywhere. She wasn't even in her room. Well, wait, don't get the wrong idea - Alex was only looking for her because she was practically missing. That girl managed to get herself into the most unfortunate situations.

Alex ran his fingers through his hair and walked off to the back of the ship where the baggages of all the passengers were being kept. Alex nodded politely to a man in a long, cream robe with a small black hat on his head made out of a wrapped-up cloth. He smiled and bowed his head respectfully and stepped aside for Alex. Alex entered the luggage area and heard the sounds of hooves scraping. Bingo. He knew Femi would be with the animals, if anywhere. She was such an animal person, after all.

"Alex!" A breathless voice called out; it was Jonathan.

Alex ignored him and started walking through the Llamas and horses that were tied to posts with ropes from their reigns. Jonathan leant over in the doorway of the stables and tried to catch his breath. Spotting Alex, he forced himself to stand up straight and keep going.

"Alex, wait! _Seriously_!" Jonathan shouted.

Alex rolled his eyes "Don't tell me - you've lost more money?"

"No! It's not that!" Jonathan breathed out.

A Llama turned its head and accidentally bumped into Jonathan. Jonathan flinched back and patted its head softly.

"Sorry, darling. Excuse me." He sighed.

The Llama snorted heedlessly and turned away to chew on some more grass hay. Jonathan looked up to search for Alex, but found him all the way across the other side of the room. He sighed in exhaustion and hung his arms over the back of the beige Llama to rest. Alex growled to himself and threw his hands up in the air.

"Where the hell is she??" He snapped aloud.

"Who?" Jonathan asked.

"Femi. I can't find her anywhere. Maybe she's fallen overboard?" He snickered.

Jonathan swallowed and leant up from the Llama "That's what I've been trying to tell you, Alex... Femi's with Roy."

At hearing this, Alex's expression was wiped clean, and his eyes filled with bitterness. He looked over at Jonathan and raised a sour eyebrow.

"What?" Alex asked, even though he had just clearly heard his uncle.

Jonathan nodded and pointed to the door "Up on the third deck, where they were playing cards..."-

Alex began slipping his way back through the few horses and Llamas before Jonathan could finish his sentence. Whatever '_Femi's with Roy_' meant, it didn't sound good to Alex. Jonathan kept up behind him as he strode down the walkway, and then began running up the stairs. They reached the second level of the boat and continued on down the next walkway, slipping past a few of the crewman who had suddenly begun to come to life and show themselves. Jonathan was still out of breath, and so he found it quite a task to keep up after the last set of stairs he had to run up. When he saw the final set approaching, he groaned tiredly and stopped running altogether to bend over. Alex went on without him.

"Don't worry, I'll catch up..." Jonathan panted, and Alex disappeared up the stairs "You just... go."

Alex could already hear some laughter and anxious cheering, and he wasn't even halfway up the stairs yet. He leapt up over the last step and swerved around to the right... and froze. The sight was so unbelievable that all he could do was... stare.

Femi was staring coldly at Roy, seated before her, and had a nearly-empty bottle of whiskey in her steady hand. She slowly brought it up to her glistening lips and glanced down at the rim of it. She blinked calmly, and then took a big, long swig from it. She set the bottle down hard on the table and scrunched her face up with sheer distaste, and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, groaning under her breath. Carter was crouched behind her with his hand on her shoulder for comfort, and Roy's buddies were standing all around, watching interestedly, or sitting on the ledge next to the table.

Alex blinked rapidly and finally came back to reality. Was this really happening? Jesus! Alex walked over to the table and looked over at Femi.

"What the hell are you doing?" He snapped.

Femi flinched and wobbled ever so faintly in her seat. Her eyes moved up onto Alex and they changed from stiff, to dreamy, and she smiled crookedly.

"Aaalex, howw nice of you tsho join urz!" She greeted him with a slurry pronunciation of her words.

Alex's nose wrinkled slightly. Was she drunk? He looked down at the table and saw the money sitting in the middle still. Empty bottles of whiskey, tequila and other kinds of strong acids sat around it. There were only two bottles with any liquid left in them, and Femi and Roy both had one each. Roy was hunched over in his seat with his right elbow propping him up at the table. His face was hanging, long, and blushing brightly, and his eyelids were threatening to lower down over his bloodshot eyes. He was sweating slightly and his lips were tightened into a thin line of struggle.

"Come on, Roy, you can do it! Take another one!" One of his friends encouraged him.

Roy slowly lifted his tequila bottle from the table and brought it up towards his lips. He gave a giant hiccup and wobbled violently in his seat for a moment before rebalancing himself. His eyes wandered all over the place for a second, and then found the tequila again. Alex just stood there and watched for a moment in complete awe. He couldn't believe Femi was having a drinking competition with this man! Surely, judging by how many empty bottles there were on the table, Femi should have passed out by now. But, in fact, she looked healthier than Roy did.

Roy brought the rim of the bottle to his lips and held it there for a moment. He glared across at Femi, who was now watching him with jolly delight. She laced her fingers together and set her elbows on the table to rest her chin upon her hands. She batted her eyelids sarcastically, mocking Roy, and Roy's top lip twitched angrily. He then threw his head back and started gulping down the entire remains of the bottle in one. Everyone apart from Alex, Femi and Carter broke out into cheer and laughter in an assumption that Roy had just won. Femi rolled her eyes to herself and, huffing knowingly, shook her head. He had just gone and done the stupidest darn thing... And just as Femi had predicted, as Roy tilted his head back, he tilted back a little too far for his own good and suddenly lost his balance. The chair craned backwards underneath the pressure of his weight and he fell backwards onto the floor with his feet sticking up in the air.

The sound cut off completely and everyone stared in an astonished silence. The bottle of whiskey now sat on Roy's chest and the last of the liquid was pouring freely out onto his already soaked chest; it looked like more of the alcohol he had been drinking went on his shirt than in his mouth. Roy's lips were parted and he was now snoring loudly for everyone to hear. His eyes were closed, and he wasn't moving...

The group slowly turned their heads away from Roy and looked over at Femi with their jaws hanging. Femi took a deep, gladdened breath in and then released it with a charmed little twitter. She reached out over the table and covered her hands over the money, and pulled it all back towards her.

One of Roy's friends finally broke out of his dumbfounded trance and looked around at everyone. He looked worried, panicked and impressed all at the same time.

"Y-you cheated!" He stuttered at Femi and pointed at her.

Femi lifted her dreamy, drunken gaze to meet his face and smiled "No."

Carter laughed happily and rubbed Femi's shoulders proudly. She tucked her curls behind her ears and kept smiling beautifully at the man.

"What's the matter? Didn't you think that a little girl like me could handle her drink?" She asked, her words remaining awfully slurred, but still coherent.

She suddenly squeaked a little hiccup and brought her finger tips to her lips. Alex's shocked expression slowly moulded into one of admiration, impress and thought. He folded his arms across his chest and a little smirk spread across his lips. This girl ceased to amaze the hell out of him. Jonathan arrived at the top of the stairs and looked over at them all with heavy pants escaping his lips. He clung to the ledge for what seemed his very dear life, and sank to the floor on his knees.

"What's with the silence?" He breathed out.

After a few minutes, Alex broke the silence by chuckling softly to himself as he shook his head. Femi looked over at him, and their eyes met. A new smile slowly appeared across her shimmering, blushed face, and this time, she didn't look away. The two of them kept smiling at each other with no hesitation whatsoever. Perhaps it was because Femi was drunk, and therefore had a lot more confidence... but then again, they say people's true selves come out when they're drunk. Right? They just didn't want to look away.

"Alright, folks, the party's over!" Carter called out and clapped his hands "Thanks for coming, we appreciate your support, now bugger the hell off already."

Slowly, one by one, Roy's friends began to turn and walk to the stairs with disappointed grunts or astounded snickers. No one could get over what had just happened. The last two of Roy's friends that were left behind knelt down and pulled each of his arms around their necks. They then heaved him upwards, all the way to his feet, and carried him off behind the others. He was completely, cold-solid out. Unconscious. Asleep. He couldn't handle his drink, obviously.

Alex leant against the wall next to him and kept watching Femi with a praising expression in his eyes and smile. Carter started jittering excitedly to Femi about how brilliant and amazing she was, and she giggled back without a care in the world. Alex smiled at hearing her laugh. He had hardly heard it all; it sounded perfect. Carter kissed Femi on the cheek and sighed affectionately down at all of the money. He walked around Femi and crouched down at the table, and began picking up piles of the money and kissing them.

"I'm so sorry... I treated you... that way... I'll never... leave you... again." He said in between smooches.

Femi laughed and playfully ruffled Carter's hair. He leant back up and stumbled over to Alex's side where he put an arm around his shoulder. Alex raised his eyebrows at him; he had obviously had a bit to drink as well.

"Isn't my sister the best, Alex, old boy?" He asked "Isn't she just the cream of the crop - the most amazing gal!"

Alex stuttered and looked over at Femi, not knowing what to say. She was smiling mystically at him which, without warning, set a little spark off somewhere inside of him. He was alarmed by this unexpected sensation and cleared his throat. It was almost as though he was agreeing with Carter. Alex looked away from Femi and gave Carter a friendly pat on the shoulder.

"Why don't you go and get some glasses of water for us, hey, old buddy?" He asked "I think we could all use some."

Carter pouted, and placed a hand on Alex's chest "So, you don't think Femi's the most amazing gal you've ever met?"

Femi just sat there, quite happily watching the two of them. Maybe she actually wanted to know what Alex would say. Alex looked around uncomfortably with a little smile revealing itself. He sighed and rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah, she's amazing, now will you go and get some water already?" He chuckled.

Carter beamed and patted Alex's chest. He walked past him and over to Jonathan who was still sitting on the floor and trying to catch his breath. As he went by, Carter tripped on his own feet and almost fell on top of him.

"Unc, I think you should probably go with him." Alex snorted.

Jonathan pushed Carter away and stared over at Alex "You hate me, don't you."

"I just want the water to come back in their glasses." Alex replied, rolling his eyes.

Jonathan sighed irritably and stood up again. He brushed himself down and then walked over to Carter, and Carter wrapped his arm around his shoulder. They both disappeared from view as they proceeded down the stairs to collect some water, just as Alex had asked.

Alex looked over at Femi, as she did up at him. The two of them stayed in a clueless silence. Neither of them knew what to say first. Femi was still smiling mistily, now fiddling with her finger nails, whilst Alex was smiling vaguely, but appeared rather stiff.

"I thought you said you didn't drink, back at Moss'." Alex questioned her, his smile broadening.

Femi smiled playfully and tucked a curl behind her ear "I don't."

Alex raised an eyebrow at her, and she giggled softly. Femi shuffled the money into a neat pile and then looked up at Alex. Their eyes met, and for a split second, Femi felt her stomach tighten. She needed to change the subject. Although her world was blurred, her head was buzzing and her muscles were weak, she still knew enough to recognise the feeling. It wasn't welcome. It couldn't be happening.

"Where have you been, then?" She randomly asked.

Alex cleared his throat and walked towards the empty chair where Roy had been "...Around."

"Searching for me?" Femi teased, smiling again.

Alex paused for a moment, and glanced at her, and then lifted up the chair and sat down in it "Nah... just... strolling around the boat."

Femi raised her eyebrows knowingly. Alex sat still in his seat and stared over at Femi. He rather liked the way she was smiling at him, even though he knew it was because she was very drunk. But still... he liked it.

"So, you mean to say, you didn't wonder where I'd been for the past hour?" She asked with her smile growing all the more amused "Come on, I know you well enough by now, Alex. And it's not like you to let a 'little lady' like myself disappear."

Alex smirked softly and shifted comfortably in his seat "Little lady?"

Alex looked around at all of the empty alcohol bottles, and after returning back to Femi, they both started laughing softly. Femi brought her hand up to her cheek and shook her head in disbelief.

"I got him good, didn't I." She giggled, and tried to sound modest about it - but really, she was awfully proud.

Alex smiled slightly and nodded "Yeah, you did. I think you got all of us good."

Femi continued to smile at him until a strange feeling awoke inside of her for that warm moment. She looked away and out at the dark, sparkly sky to distract herself. Her smile softened into a more affectionate one, and she inhaled a deep, dreamy breath to fill her intoxicated lungs with some fresh, salty oxygen. The wind brought one of her curls across her face and Alex admired how she delicately tucked it away again.

"It's a nice night" Femi slurred "You were right, back at the dock, when you asked me if I'd never been on a ship like this before. I've never even been on the sea."

Alex raised his eyebrows "Really?"

Femi nodded and smiled back over at him "I went fishing on a lake with my mother, father and Carter once, when we were children... but after I saw the poor fish flapping about, I cried until we got home."

She sniggered lightly at her own silliness, and Alex chuckled genuinely with her. Femi sighed happily, again, and reached out to pick up the whiskey bottle she had been drinking from. Before she could even get it near the shot glass in front of Alex, he snatched it out of her hand, and tossed it over board. Femi gasped, and pouted angrily.

"Whatdoathafrod??" She snapped.

Alex blinked in confusion. Femi rolled her eyes at herself and covered her forehead with her hand. She laughed under her breath.

"I haven't had much practise at getting my words out when I've had a few to drink..." She muttered in amusement.

"A few?" Alex snickered "You knocked Roy out for the night."

Femi laughed and nodded "Yes, well -- I did, didn't I..." She shook her head and looked down at her hands "Gosh, I never would have seen that coming..."

"I agree with you on that one" Alex smirked "You cease to shock me, Miss Reynolds. You just... you seem to manage to do everything that you shouldn't."

At hearing these words, Femi couldn't help blushing for some reason. She remained staring down at her hands to try and ignore the strange moment. She could feel Alex's eyes on her. Why was he watching her? But then, the feeling passed, and Alex's last comment began playing over in Femi's mind. She took a moment to narrow her eyes at her hands thoughtfully. She stroked the palm of her right one with her finger tip as she began to ponder upon everything that had led her up to his moment.

"I don't like that." Femi uttered.

Alex slouched comfortably in his chair "Don't like what?"

"... "I managed to do everything I shouldn't"?" Femi repeated, and looked up at Alex with a dark disappointment in her eyes "I'm just some sort of... robot, aren't I."

Alex tilted his head slightly, and raised his eyebrows. What was she talking about? Alex didn't reply to her, but just kept staring strangely at her. Femi soon sneered angrily and shook her head at Alex, knowingly.

"I see. That's exactly it. Oh, 'Miss Femi Reynolds - never adventurous, never exciting nor fun. It's not what she should do.'" Femi quoted sourly.

Alex cleared his throat and looked down at the table, "... Er."--

He didn't know how to reply. What was he supposed to say to make her feel better? Tell her that she didn't come off that way?... Because she really did. On their first meeting, he immediately labelled her as one of those high-bred, boring, intelligent women who were engaged to a famous lawyer and classed knitting as their Friday night's fun. What was he going to say?

"Well..." He began, and glanced up at her unsurely "Do you knit?"

Femi blinked at his tactless question. She raised an opposing eyebrow and shook her head hopelessly.

"So long as you don't knit..." Alex added stupidly "Do you?"

Femi clicked her tongue impatiently "For three years. What on earth are you trying to say, Mr. O'Connell?"

Crap. He had really just dug himself a deep hole there. Alex ran his fingers through his hair and couldn't stop himself from sniggering. It was all just so... ironic. But Femi obviously didn't feel the same way.

"Do you find this amusing?" Femi snapped, and her head twitched drunkenly.

Alex chuckled and lifted his hand up in defence "No, no, it's just... you knit!"

Femi stared bitterly at him as he continued laughing. Femi folded her arms across her chest and waited for him to finally stop.

"I never thought you were that shallow, Mr. O'Connell." She snipped offensively.

Alex blinked in surprise, but the surprise soon turned into a defensive peevishness "Me? Shallow?"

"You heard me." Femi nodded.

"Correct me if I'm wrong" Alex snorted, and leant towards her "but weren't you the one who immediately assumed I was some kind of crook just from seeing the road I lived down? I hardly think I'm the shallow one here."

Femi gasped and her eyes widened "Excuse me? My brother and I had been through a terrible night; we didn't know who to trust. And besides, it wasn't just your house that made you seem like an unmannered, dirty rogue."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Alex growled; Femi was getting her revenge now.

Femi snickered carelessly, and rather inelegantly, according to the influence of the alcohol inside of her "I don't have to explain myself to you, 'rogue'."

The situation had suddenly turned for the worse. One moment, they were enjoying a peaceful, genuine conversation... and the next, they were unexpectedly at each other's throats. The problem was that they were both as equally stubborn, and hated to be in the wrong. Neither of them were going to back down. Alex studied Femi from across the table in an impatient, boiling silence. She was so... so damn difficult!

"You can be so stuck up, you know that?" Alex sneered.

Femi snapped her now alert eyes onto him "Stuck up? Stuck up?? I believe you're mistaking me for truthful."

"You're tanked, lady" Alex laughed "In case you're wondering what that poor phrase means, 'your majesty', it's when people drink too much for fun - another thing you'd know nothing about - and can hardly talk properly."

That was the last straw. Femi felt her heart sink in both sadness and shame. The alcohol was allowing her to feel these emotions far too strongly for her own good. But she just didn't care -- another issue caused by the drink. But Alex had just basically used the one insult she had been talking about earlier. How everyone saw her as some sort of 'stuck-up robot'. Alex was just being cruel now. He was so insensitive towards her. Femi slammed her hands down onto the surface of the table, and pushed herself up to her tallest height.

"I'm so glad that you feel so strongly about that" She hissed, darkly "If only people could be as inconsiderate as you. Maybe if everyone stopped caring about each other's feelings, then the world would be more independent."

Alex stared up at her without showing any doubt or hesitation. Femi's eyes were now frowning, but her facial expression was stern, bitter, and full of hate. A look that almost made Alex want to look away. But he wasn't going to let her win.

--"Crickey, Johnny boy, you're not that old!" Carter's voice laughed out, breaking the tense silence "Move it along!"

"I'll give you a 'move it a-bloody-long' in a minute!" Jonathan panted back.

Femi finally surrendered and looked away from Alex to watch Carter arrive at the top of the staircase. He was holding a tin cup in one hand, and a jug in the other, which was presumably full of water. He noticed the layout of Femi and Alex, and immediately sensed the tense, uncomfortable atmosphere. He paused and raised an unsure eyebrow, and Femi looked down in slight embarrassment, tucking a curl behind her hear.

"Er... water anyone?" Carter asked.

"No, thank you, Carter" Femi sighed "I think I'll just go to bed now."

Carter looked back and forth from the back of Alex, and Femi "Erm... oh, alright then."

Alex folded his arms across his chest and continued to stare up at Femi. Femi glanced sourly at him, and sniffed gently. Alex blinked and narrowed his eyes in examination. Were her eyes... glistening? No... surely not. He couldn't have upset her that badly. Or... had he? Was it that the alcohol was bringing out her true emotions? People often let their feelings go when they were drunk. And alcohol mixed with Femi... wasn't very good. Alex had learnt over the past few days that Femi was a very sensitive person. He had struck a sensitive string, as well. Crap. Was he feeling guilty now?

Femi wiped the end of her cold nose with the back of her hand and refused to look at Alex again. She wavered out from in front of her chair and nearly stumbled straight into the wall beside her, but managed to push herself back with her hands. She wrapped her arms loosely around herself, and straightened her back proudly. Alex gazed worriedly at the seat where she had just been sitting and tried to decide on what was happening. Had he upset her, or hadn't he? She just seemed so angry. She always appeared so... strong. Stubborn. Independent. How was he supposed to know?

Femi walked over to Carter and picked up the jug of water. She filled the tin cup with it, and then set it back down, picking up the cup in turn. She took a small sip from it before smiling gratefully at her brother; he noticed the glossiness of her gentle, dreamy eyes.

"What's up, old mum?" He asked quietly.

Femi shook her head and gave a false chuckle "Nothing. It's just this wind; it's so cold on my eyes."

Alex clicked his tongue at hearing her reply. It wasn't the wind at all. It was because of him. Alex slapped his hand onto his forehead and rubbed it angrily. He was angry because he was feeling guilty, and angry because she... she had him hooked. She was so stubborn and arduous, and yet... right.

"Come on then, I'll take you." Carter offered.

Femi smiled and linked her arm with his. Carter looked over his shoulder at Alex and noticed him just sitting there, silently. Something had definitely gone on up here in his absence.

Carter and Femi walked round to the stairs and met with a puffed out, whinging Jonathan who had three more empty cups in his hands. He had nearly collapsed on the stairs. He saw Femi and Carter's feet on the step and followed them up with his eyes until he finally found their faces.

Jonathan grimaced sadly "Let me guess... we don't need any water?"

Femi showed him her cup "Well, sort of..."

"Scuse' me, old chap." Carter chuckled.

He and Femi stepped past Jonathan and carefully moved down the stairs. Jonathan let out an exhausted wheeze and fell down onto the steps on his front.

"And don't forget to collect all that money up!" Carter called back to him "And I'll be counting it, so don't try anything."

Jonathan peered round at him "What kind of a man do you think I am?!"

Jonathan groaned breathlessly and forced himself to crawl up the few, last remaining steps. When he finally reached the deck, he staggered up onto his knees, and then his feet, using the ledge for support. He leant back against it and panted heavily with a casual, cool smile on his face. Of course, it was just for display. He was such a whimp.

"Hey, nephew!" Jonathan called, seeing Alex sitting there with his back to him.

Alex glanced out at the sea "What?"

Jonathan blinked. His tone of voice was cold. What had happened, now? Jonathan rolled his eyes and, wheezing pathetically, sank back down onto the ground to relax.

"Nothing... just nothing." He panted.

From that moment, he swore to himself, he was never getting up again throughout the rest of the night, no matter who told him to.


	32. Men Over Board!

The boat groaned handsomely as it turned in according to the instructions that the captain was giving it. The black sky was still twinkling with stars, and the moon was still glowing over the black sea and bringing it to life. Although it was going on to at least 3 in the morning, most passengers of the ship were still awake and loving every moment of the salty breeze upon deck. Of course, this didn't apply to Roy and Femi, who had both passed out due to their reckless drinking competition earlier that night. They were both fast asleep in their incredibly comfortable beds with the shimmering of the silver moon as their night-lights of company.

Alex was sitting at a table on the very first level of the boat, nearest to the splashing, salty water. He was speculating silently as he stared out into the night with his feet propped up on the table. He brought his tin cup of water up to his lips and took one last sip from it before it became empty. He sighed and set it on the table, and then laced his fingers in his lap.

An arm stretched out in front of Alex and interrupted his meditating. Alex blinked and noticed that the hand at the end of the arm was gripping Femi's little red bag. The person dropped it into his lap and sank down into the chair on the other side of the table. It was Carter.

Alex smirked "Tired?"

Carter glared at him "Bloody exhausted."

Alex tilted his head in consideration "Not as tired as your poor sister will be in the morning, thanks to you."

"Yes, yes, I know. Please, let's not play 'rub the salt in the wound' tonight" Carter sighed, rolling his eyes "She's asleep, and happy and... well, let's just leave it at that."

Alex chuckled under his breath and looked over his shoulder for Jonathan. He couldn't see him anywhere. He turned back round to shoot Carter a questioning look.

"He's asleep." Carter explained, rolling his eyes.

"He went to his room already?" Alex asked.

Carter shook his head "No. The stairs. He wouldn't budge."

The two of them snorted and shook their heads. Jonathan was a real character, and a crazy one at that. He was going to get trampled on.

"So, uh..." Alex began, hesitantly "How is she?"

Carter nodded fairly and glanced sideways at him, almost in suspicion "She's fine. She was still awake when I left, so she's probably still lying there, bless her" He laughed "She's got some water with her in case... well, you know."

Alex nodded "She won't feel too great in the morning though, especially seeing as she doesn't drink often."

"It's funny, actually" Carter mused, and shifted comfortably in his seat, smelling the salty air "My sister, of all people, can hold her drink, even better than I can... Quite amazing actually."

"Yeah..." Alex agreed "That would put any brother to shame."

Alex and Carter both snickered and looked back out at the twinkling sky. Alex pulled in his lips in a struggle to push aside the thoughts that were knocking at his brain. His guilt. Why was he feeling like this? Why couldn't he stand the fact that he had let Femi return to her cabin with tears in her eyes? She was just... Femi. He was only here because she was paying him to escort her and her brother. But, even though Alex didn't admit it, he had actually become good friends with Carter, and fairly used to Femi's strange ways. Perhaps that was why. He had been a complete ass to her, anyhow. He just couldn't stand being in the wrong.

Alex finally sighed and gave in to his conscience "So you think she'd still be awake?"

Carter blinked "Er... suppose. Why?"

Alex remained in his seat as his eyes flickered about as he deliberated. He was in the wrong, and that's actually what was annoying him the most. He knew what he had to do, but could he? Was he going to put his ego on the line just for a woman who he was being paid to travel with?...

Hell yes.

"I just gotta' talk to her." Alex sighed, and stood up.

Carter tilted his head in consideration "You'll get a slap, mate. That girl likes her sleep."

Alex scoffed "I've had a few share of them already. I'm sure I can deal with one more."

"Alright old chap, but don't say I didn't warn you. Those hands can be awfully vicious when she's grumpy. Trust me..." Carter paused, and gave a little shudder.

"I'll be back. Keep an eye on that bag, you got it?" Alex warned him.

"Yeah, yeah, sure. 'Guard it with your life', and blah-dee-dah." He sighed, waving a hand.

Alex nodded, and walked off down the side of the ship in the direction of the staircase. He couldn't believe he was about to do this. Femi Reynolds had truly turned him into an old softie.

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Femi stirred tiresomely upon her bed and huffed to herself. She rolled onto her side comfortably, and breathed out again, trying to get herself to sleep. She had only nodded off once since Carter had left her, and that was because the sound of the waves outside her window had sung her to sleep. But she had woken up shortly afterwards feeling dangerously sick, and after throwing up once or twice in the bathroom, she felt almost as good as new, apart from her spinning head.

As she lay there in the darkness upon her soft bed, she started to slowly, and finally, drift towards her dreams, and was now gliding on the boarder of consciousness and sleep. She could hear a strange whisper reaching out to her from her dreams as though trying to pull her into the darkness. Femi resisted. She didn't know why she was, but something inside was telling her to wake up. To ignore the strange calls.

A soft creek of the boat allowed Femi to win the battle against her dreams, and she woke up with a little gasp. Her eyes snapped open and she found herself staring up at the same ceiling which had been keeping her company for the past few hours. She still felt rather sick, but not so much that she would vomit again, and her head was throbbing. She was suddenly awfully thirsty again, and so she pushed herself up, onto her knees, and opened the wooden doors surrounding her bed. Carter had left them open, but Femi had closed them after throwing up so that she couldn't see the reflections of the waves. They weren't really helping.

Femi climbed down onto the floor and wobbled round the corner to the bathroom. She picked up her empty tin cup and turned up the oil lamp on the wall when she entered the room. A warm, eerie glow spread into life and lit up her way for her. She went to the sink and filled her cup up with some refreshing cold water, and quickly drank it down. She was so thirsty that she got another fill, and drank that as well. Sighing for breath, she set the glass down, and gripped the edge of the counter with her hands. She stared at herself in the mirror and sniffed quietly. She was quite pale, and her eyes still looked sleepy from having just woken up.

She used one of her hands to neatly stroke back her curls. She was still in her clothes that Erk had given her; she had no nightgown, and she didn't want to sleep naked. Femi stared at herself in the mirror again and began thinking. Just... thinking. Over everything. The ghostly face of Meela floated in the mirror and smiled maliciously back at her. Femi grimaced, and splashed some water at it, quite childishly. It worked though. Meela's image disappeared. But she was still inside Femi's head.

_"You are the artefact we have all been searching for. When the Pharaoh created his army, locking the Sadem Trah away wasn't safe enough for him. He needed something more. Something... like you." Meela's voice whispered._

Femi heaved a depressed sigh and gazed up at herself in the mirror again. She stood back with a strong, feminine posture, and smiled softly. But it was no use. Femi looked like Femi, yes, but she still couldn't help feeling like... something else. Femi stroked her cheek with her finger tips and pouted faintly. She couldn't believe she was the Guardian the Sadem Trah. It was just... absurd! Insane! Unrealistic...

Femi giggled under her breath and shook her head. As she swiped the tin cup up from the counter, she heard a strange series of thuds echo from her bedroom. Femi paused and looked into the mirror curiously, her eyebrows contracting together. She stood still and listened very carefully. Another thud, but this time, much louder, followed by a strange scratch of metal. Femi's heart squeezed fearfully and she slapped her free hand onto her mouth to stifle her loud gasp.

Someone was there.

Fem didn't know what to do. Her heart was racing wildly, and her stomach beginning to throb nervously. She stared at the doorway of the bathroom in the reflection of the mirror whilst waiting for an idea to enter her mind. A number of shadows grazed past the floor near the door, and forced one to evolve. Without hesitating, she spun around, grabbed the handle of the door, and slammed it shut. It created a loud _bang_, and no doubt, caught the attention of whoever was sneaking in through her bedroom window. Femi pushed the small, thin bolt across, beneath the handle, and eased away from it. She pressed herself up against the edge of the counter and stared fearfully at the door.

The handle twisted and began rattling. Femi yelped and looked all around the small room for some kind of weapon. The only thing she could find was a bloody back-scrubber. Snatching it up, she gripped it tightly, and moved as far away from the door as she could. She stepped into the cold, grey bath and slid the curtain across. She knew it was a terribly obvious hiding place, but it was worth a try...

With a loud, thundering bang, Femi knew the door had been broken into. She pulled her back-scrubber to her chest and kept her other hand glued to her mouth to make sure her breathing was drowned away. Footsteps entered the room, and a heavy breathing grew louder and louder. A deep, cold voice muttered something in a foreign language; one that Femi recognised all too well.

Just as she realised who was in the room with her, the curtain tore away with a startling hiss, and Femi jumped in fright. There stood two men, dressed in black, holding long, sharp swords in their hands. All of Femi's determination swelled up inside of her and she suddenly swung her arm out and whacked the end of the long brush into the man's head. He growled angrily, stumbling back, and sliced it in half with his sword. Femi gasped and stared at the small, harmless stick that was left in her hand.

The men both chuckled deeply and sheathed their swords. Femi held the little wooden stick out in front of her, her hands now trembling, and she pressed herself back against the wall.

"S-stay away from me!" She yelled.

The man nearest to her sneered "Or whad'? You'll poke me wid' your little tooth pick?"

The two of them laughed at her pathetic excuse of a weapon. Femi gulped nervously, but nonetheless, kept her hands out in front of her. At least she had something, rather than nothing. The man suddenly snatched his hands out and gripped onto her wrists as tightly as possible, making Femi wince. She screamed as he yanked her out of the bath, and he folded her over his shoulder, despite her screaming.

The other man took out a small but deadly dagger and held the tip of it to Femi's face. She gasped and froze for fear of knocking into it.

"Keep quied', or else..." He whispered.

Femi nodded sadly and fell limp over the man's shoulder. She had no choice. The men filed out of the bathroom and moved back into the main bedroom, where two more men were waiting silently. Femi watched them fearfully and was placed back down upon her feet. There was a sudden knock at the door, and everyone whipped their heads round to stare at it. Femi gasped, and was about to cry out, when she found herself being threatened with that spiteful little dagger again.

"Get rid of dem..." One of the men hissed to her.

Femi closed her eyes and lowered her head in her struggle not to cry out or scream. She was so frightened. And someone was just on the other side of the door... Femi took a deep breath in and then sighed. She swallowed and opened her trembling eyes.

"Yes?" She asked.

"Femi... it's me, Alex." Alex sighed, his voice sounding embarrassed, and ashamed.

Femi's heart leapt with joy. Alex. He was just there. Right there! One of the men clicked his fingers, and the rest of them nodded in understanding. Three of them crept quietly back over to her open window and climbed out of it. Femi watched them in confusion as they dropped out and vanished from sight... but she heard no splash.

"Femi?" Alex called.

Femi jumped, and looked back at the door "Uh... what is it?"

"I just... I just wanted to..." He paused, and she heard him curse to himself "I'm sorry about earlier, ok? There, I said it."

Femi smiled sadly, and she felt her heart warm up. He had come to apologise? Before Femi could reply, she was being dragged across the room, towards the window. No. No! Femi had to cry out.

"_Alex_!" She screamed.

"Ged' her oud' of here!" One of the men shouted.

The door suddenly burst open and Alex charged into the room "Femi??"

"Alex!" Femi cried out.

Alex's eyes widened as he spotted her being pushed out of her window. He clenched his fists and ran towards her to catch her, but Femi screamed out in warning. One of the men had been hiding behind the door, and suddenly leapt out in front of Alex with his sword drawn.

Femi tried to grip onto the window frame as hard as she could, but the man pushing her was far too strong. As Alex began fighting with his opponent, dodging his sword and punching him about, Femi felt a sharp tip press against her back.

"Jump, or I will carve out your flesh." The man hissed in her ear.

Femi bit her bottom lip anxiously and felt tears rushing to her eyes. She glanced back at Alex desperately and saw that he was still busy fighting. She had to go.

Femi turned away and climbed up into the wide window. The night wind brushed past her and she looked down to find a small boat bobbing upon the surface not a few feet below. The three other men were sitting, waiting.

"Go!" The man behind her yelled.

Femi felt a hand slam into her back, and with a shrilly scream, she fell out of the window and was sent flooding down towards the water. Alex heard her scream and whipped his head round to stare over at the window.

"Femi!" He shouted out.

The man he was fighting kicked him hard in the stomach, as he was distracted, and Alex fell back onto the floor on his back. He rolled out of the way just before the tip of the sword stabbed down into the ground, and he jumped up, elbowing the man in the face. The fight wasn't over yet.

Femi surfaced from the freezing, salty water with a large, exasperated breath for oxygen. She blinked rapidly and waved her arms in the water to keep herself in the open. Wiping her hair back, she looked around fearfully, and suddenly saw a pair of hands reaching out for her. She screamed and tried to swim away, but they grabbed the back of her hair, and she was pulled backwards through the water. The man grabbed onto her shoulders and wrists and dragged her up and into the boat, where she rolled onto the floor, and coughed up a few splutters of salty water, soaking, and shivering. She tilted her throbbing head back and peered up at her bedroom window mournfully.

"Alex..." She whispered.

Meanwhile, back on the ship, Alex snatched up the sword that he had kicked from his opponent's hand and drove it mercilessly through his stomach. The man grunted in agony, and after Alex had pulled it back out of his body, he fell to the floor, dead. Alex turned to attack the very last disputant, and wiped away a load of blood from the end of his nose with his ripped sleeve.

Meela's servant drew his sword and approached Alex. They circled for a moment, and the man smiled sadistically.

"Meela asked me to deliver a special message to you..." He announced.

Alex derided "Pity you won't be able to."

The two men charged at each other, and their swords connected with a rapid clatter. Alex spun around, pushing the man away, and slashed his sword against the man's back before he could turn. The fight was over. Alex threw the sword to the floor and ran over to the window in search of Femi. He looked out, and saw a boat rowing away from the large ship. Femi was curled up at the back, helpless, and terrified.

"Alex!" She shouted.

Alex saw one of the men turn to face her and stuff a brown sack over her head. Alex gripped the ledge of the window furiously and gritted his teeth. The damn bastard; he was the first that Alex would kill when he caught up to them. Alex pushed himself away from the window and charged across the room. Opening the door, he ran back through the hallways, and finally came to the bottom of the staircase. He jogged up it, two steps at a time, and broke out into the chilly night with a distressed sigh.

"Uncle John! Carter!" Alex roared.

Of course, they weren't exactly going to pop up from nowhere at the sound of his call. Alex moved up onto the next flight of stairs and followed them up to the second level of the ship. He continued on up to the very last level, where they had all been playing cards, and nearly trod straight over his uncle, who was actually lying on the stairs. He was snoring quietly and a long trail of saliva was running out from the corner of his mouth, creating a glistening pool of drool upon the step. Alex grunted impatiently and nudged him in the side with his booted foot.

"Get up!" He snapped "Unc, wake up!"

Jonathan awoke with a disgruntled snort, and slowly sat up. His face screwed up in discomfort and he grabbed the side of his neck.

"Bloody hell..." He groaned.

"Alex, what's all the fuss?" Carter's voice stepped in.

Alex turned around and found him standing at the bottom of the stairs. He looked fairly concerned, and was holding the puffy, red bag in his right hand.

"Femi's been taken. Meela's men came." He reluctantly announced.

Jonathan's eyes widened "They what??"

Carter turned around in a panic and gazed out over the ledge of the balcony. He browsed the surface of the dark water, and finding nothing in sight, gritted his teeth angrily.

"Come on. Let's go." Alex ordered, and trotted down the stairs.

"Where to? If you hadn't noticed, old boy, we're on a boat." Jonathan exclaimed, standing up.

He jerked his head to a tilt, and his neck gave a sharp crack of relief. Jonathan sighed comfortably, and rolled his shoulders back, preparing for battle. Alex looked up and down the walkway in deep thought.

"Erk has an emergency boat" He muttered to himself, and leant over the ledge to look down "It's on the other side" He looked back at the other two and nodded "Let's go."

He headed off back down the stairs, and after glancing at each other, Carter and Jonathan followed behind him. Alex arrived upon the last level of the boat and turned left to march up to the front deck, his hands clenched into fists. He didn't have time to ask Erk for permission, and nor did he want to get into a large dispute with him about who would go to rescue Femi. He knew Erk would want to join in -- but he was far too drunk, and besides, this was his boat. He had to stay. As Alex cross the deck and turned into the walkway upon the other side of the boat, he began foolishly running his mind over the many horrible things that could have been happening to Femi at that very moment.

He shook them away and tried to concentrate upon the task at hand. Femi was a strong girl. She could handle herself until he got there... or so he hoped.

"Quickly, help me with the ropes!" Alex shouted to Carter and Jonathan.

Alex dismantled the lock from the support ropes at the front of the boat, and Jonathan quickly, fiddling furiously, managed to clip it away from the ropes at the back. Carter grabbed onto the same ropes as Jonathan to help him out, and after Alex nodded to them both, they began pulling on the ropes, and lowered the wooden boat down towards the splashing water. Alex kept glancing out at the open sea to search for the boat which was carrying Femi off; there, in the distance, he could spot the small brown boat bobbing upon the waves with dark figures sitting in its body.

The boat crashed down onto the surface of the water and caught Alex's attention again. He peered over the side of the ship and saw it floating there, ready to take them away.

"You two, go first." Alex ordered to Jonathan and Carter.

"Ey??" Jonathan snorted.

Alex rolled his eyes and grabbed his uncle's arm "Just jump."

"Alright, alright, don't get your knickers in such a twist." Jonathan exclaimed.

He climbed up onto the ledge with Carter next to him and gazed down at the boat. They both gulped, and glanced nervously at each other. What if they missed the boat, and hit the water instead? It was awfully cold down there...

"Go!" Alex shouted, and suddenly slammed his hands into their backs, pushing them forwards.

They leapt off from the ledges with alarmed yells and soared down towards the boat with their legs wagging, and arms above their heads. Alex heard two loud splashes as he climbed up onto the ledge, and as he jumped down quite effortlessly to the boat, he saw two head surface from the water with loud gasps.

"C-c-c-crickey! It's f-f-f-f-freezing!" Carter exclaimed.

Alex collected up the ores in a deadly concentration "Get in the boat, _quickly_!"

Jonathan rshivered madly "Yes, s-s-sir..."

Carter and Jonathan swam to the sides of the boat and pulled themselves out of the water. They rolled over and landed on their sides upon the wooden floor where they broke out into tender shivers, and their breaths transformed into white steam as they floated into the air. Alex slid the ores into their holders and turned the small boat around by swiping them in the same direction. He peered over his shoulder and spotted the small boat in the distance. He had to catch up to them, and fast. But come on, this was Alex O'Connell - what challenge wasn't he ready to accept?


	33. Stranded At Sea

Femi huddled at the back of the boat, shivering madly, and trying to hold back her tears. She was terrified, yes, but she wasn't going to let them know that. She could feel the merciless eyes of Meela's men staring forcefully at her from their seats as they rowed the boat furiously. She avoided their dark gazes, and stared up at the starry sky. Wisps of thin cloud were floating across them, and her breath was creating unusual patterns as she shivered to herself. Femi was still rather tipsy after all that alcohol she had drunk, and she was now starting to feel _very_ sick again.

"Row faster!" One of the men suddenly ordered, in a slight panic.

A few feet skidded upon the damp floor of the boat, and the men began grunting and panting as they speeded up their strong rowing. What was all the fuss? Femi gradually lifted herself up into a sitting position with her back still leaning against the very end of the boat. She peered over the wooden side next to her, and peered out over the open water. She noticed a small shadow trying to catch her attention under the pale moonlight; it was so dark, she could hardly make out what it was. But squinting her eyes, she finally realised: it was the boys, in a boat. They were coming to rescue her!

Femi smiled to herself and shifted up onto her knees. She didn't care about Meela's men at that moment (perhaps, because she was still rather tipsy as already stated). She stuck her cold hand high in the air and waved it from side to side in a determined, evident manner for the boys to see.

"Carteeeeeer! Aleeeex!" She shouted as loudly as she could.

"Shut her up!" Someone snarled.

One of Meela's men, who was nearest to Femi, leant back and ruthlessly thrust his foot out at Femi. It smacked her hard in the side, and she was thrown over onto her side with a pained gasp. She lay on her side and clutched her sore ribs with a scrunched face of discomfort. That was going to leave a bruise.

"If you wan' to make 'dis easy for yourself, 'den I suggest you just stay down." The man snapped.

"Femiiiiiii!" Carter's voice echoed.

Holy crap, his voice was so close! Femi stared at the shadowed side of the boat in a slight winded silence. She knew they were coming closer. They would be there in no time. As Femi lay there, lifting her hopes to the highest, she heard a couple of the men begin conversing in their mother tongue. Femi turned her head curiously, and just as she looked up at one of them, she saw him bring out an object that pushed her hopes all the way back down again. Her eyes widened, and she released a frightened, quivering breath to herself.

Unconcerned about being kicked again, Femi pushed herself back up onto her knees, and gripped the side of the boat desperately. She stared out at Alex's boat, which was no further than fifteen metres away from her now, and she could clearly see the boys' silhouettes under the moon's silver light.

"Alex!" She screamed, "Don't"---

Before she could warn him, a cold, nasty hand slapped across her mouth and kept her words back. Femi screamed through the hand and tried to rip it free, but another hand took a hold of her wet hair, and yanked her backwards so that she fell onto the floor again. She hand left her mouth and the one object which had set her off so fearfully was brought down to hover right in front of her nose; dynamite.

"One more word, and I'll light it, right now." The man sneered.

Femi gulped nervously and stared at the burgundy stick fearfully. The man brought it back up into his lap, and Femi stared up at him with wide, concerned eyes. What could she do? If she screamed, they would light it, but if she didn't, they would light it anyway and possibly kill the boys!

"Alex, they've got DYNAMITE!!" Femi screamed at the top of her lungs.

The last thing Femi remembered before falling into darkness, was an angry growl, and a sudden ache spread over her head...

Femi's last, screamed words danced over the water and surrounded the boys in their boat. But... the words weren't really that clear at all.

Alex blinked and looked over at Jonathan "What'id she say??"

Jonathan pondered for a moment, and looked up at the sky "I believe she said: 'Alex, I'm afraid of heights..."

"Why would she tell us that now?" Carter asked in confusion.

Jonathan shook his head "She's your sister, mate."

Alex growled impatiently and rolled his eyes. He looked over his shoulder again and saw that they were approaching the boat. Femi was nowhere to be seen now, but the other four of Meela's men were now perfectly clear. The waves splashed up against the boat and hissed, and kissed and squelched furiously, and water sprayed up at the boys angrily. But hardly held them back. Alex gripped the handles of his ores intensely and began swaying back and forth with the movements of his arms.

"Faster!" He ordered to Jonathan and Carter.

The two of them nodded obediently and pushed themselves as hard as they could go. The boat fought against the current of the deceitful waves and drew closer and closer to the opposing boat where Femi was being held prisoner, until finally, they were nearly right next to each other.

"Take my ores, unc!" Alex shouted to Jonathan.

Jonathan jumped up to the front bench where Alex was sitting, and Alex stood up confidently. He turned to face the boat, where Meela's men were still rowing frantically, and trying to keep their distance.

"If you pass Femi into our boat, we'll consider lettin' you go unharmed!" Alex shouted at them.

They all broke out into bitter, disbelieving laughter and ignored Alex's threat. Alex felt his ego bruise slightly, but this only made him all the more furious. He clenched his fists for a moment, and then sighed through his gritted teeth. Before anyone had seen, Alex had leapt off of the side of the boat and dived into the water. There was a loud splash, and everyone looked into the water to see a small area of frothy bubbles left behind.

"Keep an eye out, men! He's around here somewhere!" One of Meela's men roared.

Jonathan peered back at Carter and exchanged a startled, clueless look with him. Carter shrugged, and shook his head.

"Hey, he's your nephew, mate." He mimicked.

The two of them looked back out at the water and waited for Alex to surface. They left the ores sitting comfortably on their knees, and sat up as high as they could, to get a better view. Meela's men had also stopped rowing, and were peering over the sides of the boats curiously. Suddenly, one of the four ores was pulled towards the water, and fell out of its keyhole. The man who had been rowing with it swiped his hand out to catch it before it sank into the water, and just as he did, Alex's hand shot up out of nowhere and grasped his wrist.

He let out a sudden yell before Alex yanked him overboard, and he crashed into the freezing water. All of Meela's men stood to their feet and began shifting about in confusion. Where was he? How was he doing all of this?

"Looking for me, boys?" Alex's voice suddenly spoke out.

All of the men turned around to see Alex standing at the end of the boat, over Femi, with his hands hanging by his sides carelessly. He was panting heavily and dripping wet from head to toe; Alex found it the most difficult task to subdue his desperate desire to shiver.

"Wh-- how -- where did he come from??" One of the men stuttered in amazement.

Alex smirked "It's a gift."

"Get him!" The other man ordered, and pointed at arms length at Alex's soaking figure.

The three other men all charged at Alex in an attempt to do exactly that. Alex prepared himself for another battle, and as the men each came at him one by one, he easily swiped their fists aside and threw a series of deadly punches at their faces and stomachs. Already, two of them were down.

"Bring the boat, unc!" Alex shouted out, just before he received a sneaky kick to the chest.

He fell backwards and nearly fell right on top of Femi, but he stretched his arms out, and gripped onto the sides of the boat, which held him in place. His opponent swung his foot down towards his chest to push him down fully, but Alex lifted his own foot, and kicked him hard in the groin. The man squealed like a baby piglet and he dropped to his knees. Alex pushed himself up, and as he did so, flipped his fist out and cracked it into his nose. Now, there was only one man left standing. Alex wiped his nose and turned to face him with a dark, heartless gleam in his eyes.

Just as he clenched his fists to attack him, there was a sudden fizz of fire, and the thin cord of a dynamite began sparkling venomously. Alex froze, and his eyes widened at the stick. So that's what Femi had really been trying to say. He had thought it was odd of her to warn them about her fear of heights...

"You have 'den seconds to leave the boat, or I will gladly blow us all up." He threatened.

Alex smirked, bluffing his courage "You expect me to believe you'll kill The Guardian? Meela would have your head."

"Not if I'm already dead, my boy." The man growled.

Wow, this man was suicidal. He didn't give a damn if he died or not. He more than likely believed that there was a place waiting for him in his Lord's Kingdom -- and we all know which 'lord' that was. Alex held his hands out in front of him and backed away slowly.

"Don't be careless now... what about your God, huh? Would he be happy about you doin' this?" He teased.

"You know nothing of my God! Get off 'de boat!!" The man roared impatiently.

Alex bore a challenging look into the man's eyes. The man was nervous, this was clear, but he was still so determined. But even the bravest of men feared death, even though they would never admit it. Alex's brain began ticking for some sort of an idea. How could he get out of this one? Carter and Jonathan were now gripping the handles of their ores in a mad anticipation. The fire was running awfully close to the top of the dynamite stick.

And then, Alex gave a light smirk, and nodded "As you wish."

Just as the man assumed he was going to jump, alone, Alex ducked to the floor and scooped Femi up in his arms like a bride. The man's eyes widened in alarm and he ran towards Alex with the dynamite still burning in his hand.

"Drop her!" He snarled.

Alex, of course, refused to obey his order, and leapt right off the side of the boat with Femi still in his arms. The man knelt down in the boat and peered over the side of it to stare at the fuss of frothy bubbles which had come about from the heavy splash.

"Erm... Johnny, old chap..." Carter uttered nervously.

"JUMP!" Jonathan whaled.

The two of them scrambled to their feet with nervous yells, and leapt into the water without a second thought. Meela's men began to wake up on the floor of the boat, and as they rubbed their heads, and looked around to try and make sense of what was going on, their attention locked upon the mighty sparkling fire in the hands of their partner.

"Y-y-yaahhh!" One of them yelled madly.

All of a sudden, the fire reached the end of the cord, and the dynamite exploded with everything it had. The two boats were torn apart into small sections of wood, and a slight dome was blown inwards upon the water. The fire danced and swirled up into the sky and sent a trail of white smoke rising into the air. After the damage had been made, small bits of flaming wood came flying back down to the water, and sizzled into black ash as the cool, salty sea ate them up.

The impact of the raw water jerked Femi from her unhealthy sleep. She snapped her eyes open and felt the cold stinging of salty water rush against them, and felt her lungs choking painfully. She spread her legs and arms and waved them about fearfully, and began kicking towards the surface. When she broke through the water, she erupted into a confused fit of coughs vs. gasps for air. Everything was blurry and blotchy for a while until she recovered from her rough waking, and began looking around in confusion. She stroked her hands back over her head to wipe her hair from her face, and she licked her lips, slightly phased. She could see random flames floating upon the water all around her, and the air was strangely warm, and stank of stale gunpowder smoke.

Femi gasped to herself, and splashed her hands down into the water. The dynamite! It had exploded!

Fear and dread filled her lungs and eyes, and she circled on the spot with her head whipping left and right madly. Where were the boys?? Surely they weren't... No! They couldn't be! Not her boys!

"C-Carter! Carter!" She screamed.

No one replied. Femi's quivering breaths rose into the air in thick, passionate clouds of mist, and her eyes were beginning to fill with tears of her emotions, and the temperature. She kept her feet kicking in the water and waved her hands over the surface to keep her afloat.

"Alex! Jonathan?!... Answer m-me!" She yelled in a half-sob, her throat dry, and her voice cracking.

All that answered her desperate calls was the sound of bubbles gulping up the surface of the water, and the fire sizzling as each random chunk of wood sank from sight. Femi hiccupped on the chunks of sadness that were rising in her throat. A tear escaped from her eye and mixed in with the salty sea water which was coating her cheek.

"A-Alex!" She shouted "Carter!"

Femi then began crying helplessly to herself, when all of a sudden, a loud blast of a breath came from somewhere behind her. Femi gasped and swam around to face whoever it was; Carter.

Femi beamed in relief "CARTER!"

She swam over to him and wrapped her arms around him, despite the fact that he was still trying to get over the impact of the explosion. He coughed, and sniffed, and even heaved on a gulp of water, but Femi didn't let him go.

"I th-thought you were gone, you s-silly twit!" She wept.

Everything soon made sense to Carter, and he was able to return the hug, with a light pat upon Femi's back. Femi leant back and kissed his forehead affectionately.

Carter smiled cheesily "You can't get r-rid of me, old mum."

Just then, another desperate breath gasped through the surface, and Femi and Carter looked over as the person began roaring with bitter coughs. It was Alex. Femi smiled and let out a light laugh. Alex circled in the water and finally spotted the two of them bobbing their, clutching each other. He smirked at the sight of Femi, and gave her a little salute.

"Hi there." He simply said.

Femi smiled delicately back at him "... Hi there."

All of a sudden, as Femi and Alex were beginning to smile a little too warmly at each other, a figure blew up from beneath the water in the middle of them, with a loud yell, and splashing water everywhere. Femi yelped in alarm and kicked away with Carter; it was one of Meela's men. How on earth was he still alive?! He splashed about gracelessly and stuttered frantically to himself. He had burns all over his body, with boils beginning to form, and his hair and clothing had been half singed away. One of his eyes was now a pale cream from where the fire had obviously blinded him, and he looked... pretty pissed.

It wasn't long before he spotted Femi and Carter bobbing there, watching him with pure distaste, and uneasiness. He gritted his teeth and began swimming awkwardly towards them.

"You little bitch - I'll gud' you like a rodden' fish!" He spat, and began cursing in his foreign language.

Femi gasped, and Carter pushed her behind him protectively. Alex kicked off into a rushed swim towards the three of them, with his arms swooping over his head, and water splashing up from his feet behind. Meela's henchman reached beneath the water, and then brought up a shimmering, thick dagger into the light.

"I hardly think so, mate!" Carter snapped.

He held his fist up nervously, and glanced at it, as though wondering quite how it worked. Femi's eyes widened worriedly at the back of her brother's head, and she patted his shoulder anxiously.

"Hit him, Carter!" She ordered.

Carter suddenly poked his fist out and smacked it into the man's nose quite effortlessly. Carter winced and flicked his hand about quite pathetically. Meela's henchman gurgled on the water around him as he laughed at Carter's weak excuse of a 'punch'.

"Oh, Carter...!" Femi gasped.

The man brought his dagger back over his shoulder, and Alex was just a couple of feet away from snatching it up, when Jonathan surfaced right next to the man and, with his arms waving about stressfully, slapped him hard in the face a number of times. The man jerked away in his defence and accidentally lost his grip on the dagger, and it fell into the water, and disappeared towards the depth of the seabed beneath them all. Alex arrived behind him and wrapped his arm around the man's neck as he splashed about for his dagger worriedly.

Of course, Jonathan was completely unaware of what he had just done, and so remained bobbing their as he coughed and wiped his face clean. Alex cracked the man's head to the side, and made sure that he wasn't going to come back this time. Alex slipped his arm away from his shoulders and allowed the body to sink down beneath the water to the same place that his dagger had gone. Femi turned her head away in disgust, and sighed. She should have been used to killings by now... but she just couldn't adjust.

"B-Blimey!" Jonathan heaved dramatically, "I s-saw my life flash before mm eyes! Aunt C-Celia, and... Roberta?" Jonathan paused for a moment, and his nose wrinkled in confusion "Why was she there?"

Everyone ignored Jonathan's irrelevant mutters and carried on with settling themselves, after the large explosion they had all just been involved with. Alex shook his head to rid any excess water from his messy hair, and bobbed comfortably upon the surface. He took in the scenery and made sure that all four of them were together, and wiped his hand back over his head to brush his soaking hair out of his eyes.

"Is everyone ok?" He asked.

The four of them looked around at each other and nodded considerably. Carter kept his arm snaked around Femi's waist, and she held the loose sides of his shirt tightly. A still, awkward silence set over the small party, and they just bobbed there blankly and powerlessly with the soft current of the waves. Femi turned her head left and right and narrowed her eyes to focus upon the long distances all around her. Her next question practically announced their unfortunate situation.

"W... where's the boat?" She shivered nervously.


	34. Fishy Little Friend

The boys reacted to her question by swimming in circles and trying to find the ship, which clearly wasn't there. Femi felt her chest tighten again, and her face went as pale as possibly could have gone.

"Alex" She snapped "_Where's_ Erk's b-boat??"

Alex glanced at her, and at seeing the stern, panicked look on her face, avoided it as much as he could. He rubbed the back of his wet head and sighed in defeat.

"Uh... I dunno'." He stated, sounding just as shocked.

"Wh-what do you mean 'you don't know'?" She repeated bitterly "Do y-you mean to tell me th-that you left the boat w-without informing Mr. Erk of your plans??"

Alex finally looked at her, and suddenly felt like he was ten years younger, and back in the classroom with his teacher. He didn't like how she was able to belittle him so easily. He rolled his eyes, and splashed the water angrily.

"Yeah, that's what I mean, ok?" He growled back "But h-hey, let's not forget who just saved your shiverin' little ass."

Jonathan looked down at his soaking chest and began padding it with his palms, as in search for something. Femi and Alex, however, remained focussed upon the stern dispute that was arriving.

Femi laughed "S-Saved? _Saved_??"

She let go of her brother, and swam out into an area of her own. She looked around with a pure look of sarcasm plastered upon her face, and she held her hands out to signal to the sea around them.

"You c-call this '_s-saved_'??" She scoffed angrily "I'm h-half drunk, freezing, with a splitting, bruised head, and y-you think you _saved_ me??"

Jonathan found whatever he was looking for and brought out the red bag with a proud smile. Carter smiled at the sight of it, and clapped him on the shoulders.

Jonathan held it up in front of him "Hey, it's not a complete loss! L-Look!"

Femi and Alex paused from their bickering for a moment to look across at Jonathan. The sight of water literally pouring out from the bottom of the red bag seemed to bring Femi's hopes and optimism down to the lowest level - along with her frown.

"Fabulous! Maybe we c-can pay the fishes to point us the right d-direction!" Femi yelled sarcastically.

Quite clearly, she wasn't moved by the safety of the red bag. Femi splashed the water irritably and stroked her wet hands back over her head. Alex glared at her for a moment, and then tore his eyes away, and started looking around. Jonathan blinked and looked over at Carter for an explanation, but he simply rolled his eyes, implying the typicality of his sister.

He swam over to Femi and wrapped a sympathetic arm around her shoulders "It's alright, old mum. We'll think of s-something..."

"... We'll swim." Alex suddenly announced.

Jonathan, Carter and Femi snapped their shocked eyes onto Alex immediately. Femi started giggling again, and shook her head to herself.

"Oh, this is just f-fabulous. Yes, let's just start swimming, and hope that it's the r-right direction" She paused and snorted "But if it c-comes to morning, and we still can't see any land, perhaps then w-we should just swim all the way back again and try a different o-one, hmm? Yes, that sounds _perfectly_ a-analytical."

Alex rolled his eyes "What else d'you suggest we do? Stay h-here and wait for someone to see us?"

"Who?" Carter asked.

"My point exactly" Alex replied, and turned to face Femi, rather angrily "There _is_ n-no one. We're out here in the middle of the darkest of nights, and no one is gonna' find us" He began swimming towards her, and Femi nervously eased back, away from Carter "If we don't swim, then we'll probably be found the next mornin' w-with the fishes nibblin' on our asses."

Femi splashed Alex, as a way to get him to stop coming towards her. He flinched away, but simply splashed her right back. Femi growled angrily and forced a small wave of water over him, and he sent it straight back to her. Jonathan and Carter floated peacefully in the water and watched the two of them commence in a large water fight. They both sighed with a shake of their heads, and at the same time, grunted:

"She's _your_ sister."  
"He's _your_ nephew."

All of a sudden, Jonathan flinched in the water, and cocked his head down to look into the water. He began looking all around him in a slight panic, and Carter raised an odd eyebrow at him.

"You alright, old chap?" He asked warily, as though he was crazy.

Jonathan looked up at him with his brow creased, and his eyes wide "I think s-something just touched me."

Carter blinked and raised an awkward eyebrow "Well it wasn't me, mate."

"No, no. S-Something." Jonathan stuttered.

"Whatta' you mean? _S-Something_?" Carter repeated.

"Yeah, s-something" Jonathan repeated with a shaky nod "Just slid straight p-past me."

Carter paused for a moment, but soon shook his hand, and laughed carelessly "Probably just a little fish that fancies a bit of your underpants, Johnny."

"H-heh, heh..." Jonathan chuckled nervously and kept a wary eye on alert "Yeah... just a little f-fish."

"You're so impossible! How dare you b-blame this on _me_!" Femi gasped at Alex, and splashed him again.

"If you hadn't tried to be such a h-hero and get all that money back by drinkin', you wouldn't have had to go back to your room in the first place!" Alex snarled, and splashed her back.

Femi gasped from the cold water, and shook her head "I beg your p-pardon, but you clearly aren't remembering the _t-true_ reason as to why I left to my bedroom. If you hadn't have been s-so rude, then I"--

"AHH!" Carter quivered loudly.

Femi and Alex looked away from each other, and over at Carter. Now _he_ was looking down into the water, as if searching for something, and his hands were stroking upon the water quite quickly.

"S-Something just knocked my leg!" He exclaimed.

"S-See? I told you! I'm not just going crazy!" Jonathan agreed anxiously.

Alex narrowed his eyes "Wait, told him what? What brushed past you?"

Jonathan and Carter shook their heads "We don't know!"

Femi felt a shiver of fear creep up her back, and she clenched her toes anxiously. The thoughts of something being beneath her, where she couldn't see, made her uncomfortable to the point that it was unbearable. They were now trespassers in the Kingdom of the sea creatures... and any one of them could be nearby. Femi tried not to think of all the possibilities.

Alex looked around warily and swam closer to Femi "Everyone s-stay together... try not to move too much."

Femi's eyes widened apprehensively at Alex "Wh-what? Wh-why shouldn't we move too much?"

"The explosion might've attracted a f-few little guests..." Alex uttered, and gaze thoughtfully into the water around him.

Femi gulped "Guests? A-Alex, what kind of"-

But before Femi could ask the question, a large, grey fin glided past her in the water, from behind, and she felt something hard knock against her waist. Her body froze over in complete fear, and her breath caught in her throat. It was a _shark_. Carter and Jonathan literally clung to each other for their dear lives as they watched the man eater swim by, and Femi had already begun sinking into the water, as she had stopped moving entirely. Alex grabbed her under the arms and held her up at his level.

"It's ok... just s-stay calm." He whispered, but Femi could sense a strong emotion of worry in his own voice.

Femi parted her trembling lips, but all that escaped was a petrified little squeak. The fin turned and moved around behind Carter and Jonathan, who watched it with their pale eyes. It came around them once again, and began heading straight for Femi and Alex. Closer, and closer it came. Femi's heart was beating so fast that it was probably visible through her chest. Her ears were ringing wildly, and her eyes stinging. Alex gripped her arms anxiously and they both watched the fin get closer and closer. The face of the shark was heading straight for them - that huge jaw of jagged, merciless teeth...

"In a minute, when I say so, jump to the side." Alex whispered.

Femi's eyes widened and she squeaked again. Alex gripped her arms sternly, and moved his lips to her ear, so that she could feel his breath down the back of her neck.

"Trust me..." He whispered, and then suddenly pushed her away from him "Go!"

Femi gasped and combined his pushing force with her own jump, and flew out of the way of the shark, just as Alex did. Femi spun around to see where the shark was, and spotted it swimming straight past Alex. Alex was now grasping a piece of sharp, black wood that had obviously come from one of the two boats, and was holding it above his shoulder.

"Alex, look out!" Femi cried, as the shark's fin met him.

Alex released a determined growl and stabbed the sharp end of the wood down upon the shark's back, and Alex let it glide off through the water with it. The fin swished from side to side for a moment as she shark obviously reacted to the pain, and it then finally submerged into the black water, and out of sight, travelling away from them. It had really worked.

"He won't be comin' back any time s-soon." Alex heaved a sigh, and sniffed.

Femi, Jonathan and Carter all tore their heads away from where the shark had last been, and began staring at Alex with wide, amazed eyes. They all looked as white as milk, and Femi was almost trembling. Alex raised an eyebrow at them all and shrugged indifferently.

"Scuba diving in Australia. They teach you all about self defence in the water." He explained innocently.

"A-Alex" Jonathan began seriously "You're my nephew, and b-by god knows I love ya', but I've got to say -- you're a b-bloody lunatic!"

Alex chuckled lightly and scratched above his ear "You're welcome, unc."

Femi's mouth hung agape, and she was hardly blinking through the dazed stare that she was sending Alex. Carter and Jonathan began retelling the story with a little enthusiasm and amusement, but she just kept quiet, and gaped at him. Had he really just done that??

Alex finally noticed Femi staring at him and raised a cocky eyebrow with a smile. He slowly made his way over to her with his chin in the water, and he blew a couple of bubbles of water at her. She flinched, and held her hand up to protect herself.

"Do you still think I haven't saved you?" He asked, teasing her.

Femi eyed him up and down as though he was crazy "You're ins-sane, Mr. O'Connell..."

He smirked "I've been told."

Femi felt herself relax, ever so faintly, and she shook her head slightly "Is there nothing y-you can't do?"

Alex lifted his chin from the water and produced a cheesy smile "Hardly."

Femi snickered, and shook her head again. Her eyes eventually locked with Alex, and the mood changed from fearful and shocked, to gentle, and... warm. They stared at each other for a moment and their expressions softened. What was happening here?

Jonathan laughed loudly "Did you see the look on Femi's f-face!"

"Haha!" Carter cried, breathless "I th-thought she was going to have a heart attack, right there and then!"

Femi tore her entranced eyes away from Alex's handsome ones, and frowned at her brother and Jonathan. They cracked into more laughter upon seeing her reaction, and Femi rolled her eyes, and paddled over to them.

"It's _not_ funny! That shark came straight towards us, d-didn't you see?!" She fought back like an annoyed little kid.

Alex smirked as he watched her swim away from him, and shook his head. He let the three of them jibber as he began looking around at the black nothingness all around them. He gazed back up at the stars and worked out which direction they had come from. He remembered studying them as they began rowing away from Erk's boat, and their layout was engraved into his memory. He knew exactly where they were. A thick board of wood bobbed past Alex's path, half the length of the boat, and the same width as the side of it, and he quickly grabbed it before it drifted away. He looked over at Femi and called her name, and she looked around curiously. She saw the large, wooden float he was holding and raised an eyebrow.

"What's that?" She asked, her voice sounding tired.

"Get on." He told her.

Femi blinked, and looked around at Jonathan and Carter "B-But what about you three?"

Carter winked "You've had it rough, old mum. Drinking, s-swimming and what not... We'll be fine."

"A little l-lady such as yourself shouldn't be expected to swim the r-rest of the way." Jonathan added cheekily.

Femi splashed a bit of water at him, and he poked his tongue out. She rolled her eyes, and swam over to the wooden block where Alex was. She climbed up onto the wood and rolled over, and sat herself up on her side. Water was dripping from her head to her toe, and her head was throbbing fiercely from the cold, the alcohol, and where she had been knocked unconscious. She released an exhausted sigh and gradually lowered herself down until she was flat on the board. As she lay there, with her back to Alex, he observed the creases in her shirt and the pattern of her bra that was showing through the soaked material. What had almost happened to her back there had changed his feelings towards her permanently; he was never going to be so careless in protecting her again. Not only was that, basically, what he was being paid by her to do, but also... but he wanted her to be safe.

He grabbed onto the edge of the wooden board, and Carter and Jonathan followed. The three of them moved onto their stomachs and started kicking their legs and feet in rhythm with each other. Femi curled up slightly and started to shiver a little.

"Thank you." She told them all.

They all smiled lightly, and continued paddling along in the same direction, Hopefully, there would be land approaching... and by Alex's judgement of the stars, there most likely was. Or so he was assuming -- but he wasn't going to tell anyone that.


	35. Feelings Over The Fire

_**Altogether, this episode was 18 pages long on 'Word Document'. Now, I couldn't force all of you loyal readers to browse through so much! I separated it into two parts, which explains why one may be shorter than the other... but nonetheless, I hope you enjoy it. Merry Christmas.**_

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Alex released an exhausted grunt and lifted his head with narrowed, weary eyes. What he saw woke him up right away, and he let out a soft chuckle. It was _land_. He could see the figures of the trees running along the border of the forest glowing under the moonlight, and the sandy beach was almost a pure white.

"What did I tell you, boys." Alex panted, the water lapping at his mouth.

Carter and Jonathan lifted their heads from the wooden plank and looked up. Their eyes narrowed and they spotted the shore approaching, and they sighed and smiled with relief.

"B-b-b-bloody hell." Carter stuttered in amazement.

The three men rounded up their strength again and began paddling their legs even harder. They had been propelling the wooden plank for the past hour and a half now. They had started off fast and determined, but as time went by, they slowed down and became more relaxed. Jonathan and Carter were beginning to lose faith in finding any land at all, but now that the shore was only a few more minutes away, they were determined to give it all they had. They couldn't wait to get out of the water. Femi had fallen asleep to the sounds of the waves and the feel of the cool water lapping around her face. Alex and the others didn't blame her. She was probably awfully hung-over, after all.

Alex, Jonathan and Carter continued paddling until the waves started pushing them towards the shore. They suddenly felt their feet brush against the rocky bed of the sea and stood up with loud, triumphant sighs and gasps.

"Keep pushin'." Alex grunted in his effort.

The three of them strode through the water and pushed Femi towards the shore on the board of wood. They bobbed up into the air with each wave that came crashing up behind them, but managed to keep themselves composed for Femi's sake. Unfortunately for her, the waves seemed to grow all the more aggressive as they drew closer to the shore, and one forceful little bugger came rolling towards them all and crashed over the top of the board to soak Femi in a fresh coating of ice.

She awoke with a startled gasp and began coughing lightly. She slowly pushed herself up on her side and wiped her wet hair back from her cheeks. Everything was such a haze to her at that moment. Blinking rapidly, she took in the scenery around her and felt her heart lift slightly. A placid, welcoming beach smiled down at her, and her heart fluttered, and she sighed dreamily.

"Morning, sunshine." Carter heaved sarcastically.

They finally reached the sandy beach and the board groaned against the rocky ground, announcing the end of the journey. Carter moved round to Femi's side and helped her stand to her feet whilst Alex and Jonathan collapsed upon the ground next to each other, panting heavily. Femi wobbled along beside Carter and the two of them also fell down onto the ground, along side the other two. But Femi remained sitting up, and looked around in a vulnerable confusion.

"How long were we swimming for?" She muttered.

"_We_?" Alex panted "Lady, I think you mean _us_."

Femi ignored his childish comment and continued watching the white waves crashing towards them. She sniffed quietly and felt the strong wind blow down upon her, and she shivered loudly. She was soaked. There was no way they could get warm now. Femi looked down at the three boys as they lay upon their backs and tried to catch their breaths.

"What are we going to do now?" She asked worriedly "Where are we?"

"Relax. We're in Alexandria." Alex sighed.

Femi blinked "The coast of Egypt?"

Alex nodded with his eyes shut, and breathing deeply "Yeah..."

Femi's eyes widened "How on earth do you know that??"

Alex lazily lifted his hand into the air and pointed his finger to the sky. Femi raised an eyebrow and looked up at the stars and the swirls of thin cloud.

She sighed "Yes... very pretty, but"--

"Astrology. It's a great way to find yourself when you're lost." He interrupted her.

Femi smiled in an impressed understanding, and glanced down at Alex. He smiled back to her, and Femi sighed happily. Femi folded her arms across her chest to try and warm herself up, and huffed tiredly. As she sat there, thinking peacefully, a bright colour of red caught her attention as it bobbed in the water.

"The Diamond Heart!" She cried.

The boys all sat up and looked to where she was pointing and spotted the red bag floating towards the sandy shore. Jonathan's face paled and he started slapping his chest as though he was going to find the red bag still there.

"Crickey! That little bugger must've s-slipped from my s-shirt!" He exclaimed.

Alex groaned, dreading the facts, and reluctantly shifted forwards onto his knees. He began crawling back into the water, and Femi, Carter and Jonathan all watched him calmly.

"It takes a lot of guts for a man to get back in that freezing water..." Carter uttered, "Your nephew's got balls, Jonathan."

Femi rolled her eyes at that silly comment. Why were men always the hero? It was about time so heroines came along... although... Femi wasn't quite sure if she was going to be one of them. Alex, now bobbing comfortably in the water, swiped his hand out and snatched the red bag up in his strong grasp. He squeezed the body of it to check that there were signs of the objects still inside, and he recognised the shapes of soggy bill collections, and a wooden box. He turned around and began making his way back to shore, with the waves helping him along the way.

Alex dragged himself out of the water and crashed back down into the warm sand again. He continued to pant heavily upon his back, and Femi crawled over to his side, and plucked the bag from his weak grip. She pulled the zip across and peered inside curiously. The money was all stuck together and becoming quite mushy, but the red, scarred box was sitting there in the cushioned comfort of it all. But still... the money!

Femi rolled onto her back and closed her eyes in disappointment "The money... it's all ruined."

Everyone fell into a thoughtful silence. They were in Egypt, now, so the only need for that money was to pay Alex for his company. Maybe, if they were lucky, they could peel the notes in the center of each pile apart? The outside notes might have soaked up enough water to spare the middle ones... A loud, piercing screech sounded out from above, and Femi and Carter bolted up into a sitting position together with alarmed gasps.

Jonathan chuckled "Settle down, City kids... it's just a bird."

Carter gulped "What kind of a bird makes that sound?"

Alex and Jonathan exchanged amused looks "An Egyptian one." Alex snorted.

Femi sighed to herself and looked back out at the dark, whispering sea. She wiped some water from the end of her nose and squeezed any more of it out of her long, straggly hair. She shivered loudly at the feel of a chill shooting down her spine, and she pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms tightly around them.

"It's s-so cold..." She whispered.

Alex glanced over at her. He watched her shiver under the pale, silver moonlight for a moment. The poor doll. Alex rolled his eyes at himself; he was growing too soft. He heaved an announcing sigh and pushed himself up onto his feet. Femi looked up at him curiously.

"Well we can't just lie here and freeze ourselves away. We g-gotta' get warm for the night." He stated.

He turned away and stepped over Jonathan and Carter to walk to the back of the beach where all the trees were swaying in serene greeting to the newcomers. Femi's eyebrows creased together in alarm and she scrambled to her feet to rush after him. She couldn't get a very good grip upon the sandy ground.

"Alex! Oh, _Alex_!" She sang "It might just be all th-the water inside my ears, but I-I thought I just heard you say 'for the night'."

Alex kept marching onwards "You did."

Femi stopped running for a moment. She stared after Alex with wide, disappointed eyes. The _night_?? They couldn't afford to waste yet another night! Femi kicked off into another struggling jog, with the sand shifting uncooperatively beneath her bear feet, and gradually caught up to him.

"Alex, you c-can't"-- Femi's foot suddenly slipped in the sand, and she tumbled down onto her knees; Alex kept marching without a care, and Femi jumped back up to run after him "You can't b-be serious!" She repeated.

Alex arrived at the trees and stared up at them all in a musing manner. He began trying to decide which ones looked the strongest, and which ones had the most branches. Femi ran up to his side and stared at him, waiting for an answer.

"We're not going anywhere tonight. We'll camp here." He carelessly sighed.

Femi shook her head "No, no, n-no, no. We can't camp anywhere, Alex; we need t-to go! We need to get to The V-Valley of The Kings as soon as p-possible!"

Alex turned to look at Femi and gave her a patronising, insulting smile "And we will."

He walked off before Femi could get another word in, and she stomped her foot angrily upon the ground with a loud, exasperated growl, which used up far too much energy. Femi's head became awfully light and her vision black and splotchy. She released a delicate whimper and fell to the soft ground to balance herself and relax. Her stomach began churning, and before she knew it, she could feel the vomit creeping up her throat again. It seemed the after-effects of her heavy drinking weren't over just yet. Femi staggered to her feet and ran into the long line of trees to throw up in a place that no one could see.

Carter and Jonathan arrived at the tree just in time to see her scuttle off into the shadows. They looked to each other and exchanged distasteful expressions with each other.

"D-D'you think it's alright for her to be alone in th-the trees?" Jonathan asked, sniffing.

Carter glanced over in the direction that Femi had disappeared "Er... someone should probly' go w-with her."

The two of them eyed each other warily. Carter waved his hand out to Jonathan and stepped back.

"S-Seeing as you're so worried, you can go. Please, I i-insist." Carter cheekily offered.

Jonathan blinked "Me? Sh-she's your bloody sister, mate."

"That means nothing" Carter stupidly shot back "B-Besides, someone needs to, uh... t-to stay out here and watch out for any trouble."

Carter patted the trunk of the tree protectively and smiled proudly. Jonathan raised a sceptical eyebrow and glanced back and forth from the two of them.

"It's a tree..." He muttered tonelessly.

Carter slapped the trunk of the tree again "And a bloody marvellous one at that, t-too. Look at the bark on this darling."

Femi suddenly emerged from the darkness of the trees looking very pale and drained. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and walked past the two boys without looking at either of them.

"Don't bother yourselves. I'm back." She grunted.

Femi sank to the floor next to the smooth, slender trunk of the tree and leant back against it. She closed her eyes and, crossing her arms over her chest, began shivering madly again. And to top it all off, she felt as though she had just been trampled over by a herd of stallions. Femi was _never_ drinking again.

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When Alex finally returned from his hunt, he arrived with a large, water-proof sheet (which had fortunately drifted to shore with them from one of the boats which had been blown up) and a collection of thick strips from a certain type of tree, to use as tying string. He had been gone for the good part of nearly forty minutes, and the misty clouds had vanished completely, so to allow the brilliant stars to watch over them on the unfamiliar beach. The sound of the whispering waves crashing against the shore delivered a gentle serenity to the beach, and from where Carter, Jonathan and Femi were sitting, it seemed to have an even greater effect as the wind also rustled in the trees above them. Yes, they were cold, yes, they were hungry... but they were at peace. True peace.

Alex dropped the thick, heavy strips of bark carelessly upon the sandy ground and a soft but sharp 'thud' startled all three of them out of their snoozes with disturbed snorts and gasps. Femi gasped again from the pain of her hung-over headache, and pressed the stump of her hand in between her eyebrows; Alex smirked.

"Drinking's fun, huh." Alex teased.

"... Sensational." She sarcastically hissed.

Alex smirked and pointed to the sheet on his shoulder "What luck, eh? Drifted on the waves like we did; the wind must've brought most of the wreckage this way."

Carter peered up at Alex through his squinted, sore eyes "As thrilling as that is old chap, could you keep the noise down? Some of us are trying to sleep you know."

"Here, here." Jonathan sighed, and curled up again.

Alex smirked "Yeah, sorry, I'll remember not to wake you whilst I build our shelter for the night..."

"Good man." Carter yawned, without having noticed Alex's hint of annoyance.

Alex smirked, shaking his head, and continued to wrap and twist the sheet onto the branches to create a roof. Within minutes, Carter and Jonathan were snoring airily in their sleeps, once again. Femi watched Alex working from her comfortable yet cold seat on the sandy floor. It was an oddly awkward moment. What with Jonathan and Carter being asleep, it was just the two of them now. Why was it so hard to relax?

"What's that?" Femi asked quietly, and pointed to the strips of bark.

"Birch bark. Pretty useful stuff" Alex replied "You interested in the great outdoors all of a sudden?"

Femi rolled her eyes "Hardly."

Alex turned to shuffle over to Femi's tree, and he caught her watching him. Femi tensed up in an embarrassed surprise and quickly glanced away as though she had never been looking. Alex smirked to himself, as he often did, and walked past her without saying anything. He began twisting the edge of the sheet around the branches and puncturing holes in it to stick them through, holding it in place.

"That should do it." He finally sighed.

Femi only suddenly realised what he had created. She looked around and pulled her knees up to her chest in a comfortable huddle. She was now resting underneath a dome-shaped tent. The front was wide open, but at the back, the sheet hung down to create a wall, and the roof was a few inches above Alex's head (when standing). Alex brushed his hands together and strolled over to the other side of the 'den', and knelt down on the ground beside Carter and Jonathan. Femi curiously watched him take the strings of bark that he had collected, and wrap it round his arm in a large circle.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

Alex glanced over at her "Makin' a fire."

He began placing the thick strips upon the floor to create the shape of a circle, and when he had used all of them up, he padded up a wall of sand on the outside, like a barrier. He found a few sticks nearby and arranged them inside the circle so that, if a fire was started, the heat could be trapped. He pulled out a stone from his trouser pocket, and after looking around for a moment, spotted a regular old pebble in the sand and snatched it up. He leant up on his knees and began chipping the two stones together next to the birch bark. A few sharp sparks ignited, but the bark wouldn't catch it.

Femi raised her eyebrow lightly "Would you like some help?"

Alex snickered, perhaps in slight embarrassment that he couldn't start the fire, and shook his head once "I think I can handle it."

"Are you sure?" Femi asked, raising her eyebrow even more "I know I haven't mastered the ways of 'the great outdoors' yet, but I'm sure I could give it a try. After all, it's only a fire..."

Alex sighed and stopped chipping the rocks together. He looked over at Femi tiresomely and narrowed his eyes, almost patronisingly.

"Lady, why don't you just stay sittin' where you are, n' let me finish. Just enjoy the scenery or... somethin'." He sarcastically advised.

He then went back to scraping the stones at each other, and left Femi gawking at him in anger. What was he trying to say? That she was only good for gazing at sceneries? She wasn't sure whether to take that as a sexist comment, or just another one of his generally rude insults. Femi's lips parted and connected in her effort to control her irritation. She watched him with her eyebrows gradually lowering further and further, until she could obtain her feelings no more.

"Mr. O'Connell, I would appreciate it if you didn't treat me like some kind of unskilled, hopeless damsel who spends her days smelling flowers and-and... singing to the birds. I can be useful, too, you know." She snipped.

Alex paused for a moment, and again, shot her one of his most sarcastic glares "What's wrong with singin' to birds n' smellin' flowers?"

"Oh, for heaven's sakes..." Femi sighed angrily.

Alex ignored her quiet curse and concentrated upon the rocks he was scraping. Femi lowered her knees and crossed her legs Indian-style, and placed her hands in her lap.

"I dare say you're just scared that a woman could outdo you. That's what it is" Femi bitterly teased "After seeing me beat Roy back on the ship, you're having second thoughts, aren't you."

At hearing her insult, Alex cracked the stones together in a swift, angry bang, and a vicious spark hopped onto the beach string. A small flame grew to life, and began spreading around the strips. Alex dropped the stones into the sand and glared across the growing fire at Femi, who was now watching him with alarmed, prepared eyes.

He smirked "That isn't possible. No one could outdo me."

The fact that he had just succeeded in lighting the fire, without Femi's help, really didn't help Femi stand up for herself. How did this man so easily belittle her? Femi gritted her teeth. He had caught her out, dammit...


	36. Ambushed

Instead of fighting back with her intricate vocabulary, Femi retreated back into her hung-over, lazy self and sighed softly. The nightly breeze sighed gently into their shelter and caused the fire to merely shiver slightly. The salty waves of she sea rustled upon the shore in dreamy whispers, and the fire cracked now and then, delivering a sense of calm. Alex pushed himself back onto his bottom and leant back against the tree with his shoulder against it, sinking down comfortably. He crossed one foot over the other and laced his fingers over his stomach, and sat there, watching the warm fire spread. Alex glanced at Femi, just out of curiosity, and found her staring at the fire in a childish sulk. He couldn't help but notice just how attractive she was when she was annoyed or angry. Something about her innocence that fired up and _tried_ to be furious. It never worked.

"It's not the fire's fault, you know" He spoke out, catching her attention "So quit frownin' at it."

Femi snapped her inquisitive, tired eyes onto him "What's not its fault?"

Alex grinned devilishly "That you can't build a fire, or a tent - or anythin', for that matter. You shouldn't be so grumpy about it. You're only a girl, after all."

Femi sat upright like a bolt "I warn you, I am _not_ going to put up with you speaking to me like that. I could build a fire, if I knew how. Just because you spit and burp and fight all the time, it doesn't mean you're stronger or smarter, or faster or better, or any of that silliness."

She sighed sharply and turned her head away. She glared out at the shimmering sea and folded her arms over her chest, still in a sulk. Alex watched her with amused eyes.

"You must think I'm only good at being rescued or crying for help..." She muttered softly "But I'm not. I'm not just a weak, little girl. I wouldn't be here if I were."

Alex's amusement slowly faded from his eyes. His smile vanished completely, and he began watching her thoughtfully. The way her slim, long legs were positioned, or how her damp, straggly hair lay in thin curls by her shoulders, or the way the fire reflected upon her tired face. He watched her, gazing out at the sea in meditation. She really didn't want to be weak. And this time she wasn't even drunk when she was trying to justify that. She was... being truthful. Opening up, without the courage of alcohol backing her up. Alex could see that she was trying her hardest. She had fought through a hell of a lot since her journey began. He just couldn't help firing her up though - was it just is way of getting her attention? Alex suddenly realised what he was doing and tore his eyes away. Jesus, what _was_ he doing?

"Sure... ok then." Alex snickered in sarcasm.

He had to be sarcastic. He didn't care about her. He wasn't interested in her life, or her feelings. She was just... someone he was guiding. Femi looked over at him with her head slightly turned away, and she narrowed her eyes.

"Well..." She began in defence "I... I really couldn't care less what you think, Mr. O'Connell."

Alex nodded sarcastically, refusing to look at her "You keep tellin' yourself that, Lady."

Femi slapped her hand onto the ground impatiently "I _don't_!"

"Yeah... I can see that." Alex shot back at her, and finally, looking at her, smirked knowingly.

He was right. She was getting so worked up that it was more than obvious that she really did care. Femi rolled her eyes irritably and sneered, more at herself than Alex. She refolded her arms and looked away, shaking her head.

"What you think of me is inconsequential... You're only here because I'm _paying_ you to be." She whispered harshly.

At hearing this, Alex felt something inside of him give a throb of disappointment. He secretly stared across the fire at her for a moment to see if she would look at him. To see if he could recognise any doubt or light-heartedness in her trivial eyes. But no. She wouldn't look over at him. And if Alex was correct, he was more than sure that he could see Femi's own disappointed, sad frown beginning to show. Why was he feeling guilty, now? She was right - he was only there because she was paying him to be. So why didn't he like the way she said it?

Alex soon huffed irritably, and rolled onto his side, so that his back was partially facing Femi, as if to show that he, too, was in a sulk. Femi peered over at him with her expression softening slightly. Had she upset him? Surely not. Alex didn't care what she said or thought. Or did he? Femi slowly looked away, and trailed her eyes across the floor in thought as she brought them back round to finally stare out at the large, silver moon reflecting upon the rippling sea. Time was running out, and it wouldn't be long before the climax of their mission would arrive. Femi had more important things to think about than offending Alex, or him offending her.

This wasn't a chance to socialise; it wasn't a game.

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After having sat up for another hour or so, Femi soon dried off next to the fire and became awfully sleepy again. She snuggled down onto her side, facing the fire, and stared into its flames before drifting into her peaceful sleep. The den in which the four of them were sleeping was still glowing from the small fire that was keeping them all warm, and the gentle, early-morning breeze was rustling in the trees all around them. It was still only 3 in the morning, so they had plenty of time before having to wake up. Unfortunately, a rather disturbing sound from within the forestry area had other plans for them.

Carter, unaware of the situation, awoke with a stifled snort and his eyes flickered open. He assumed that he had just woken up coincidentally, as one does in the night, and so rolled over onto his other side to get comfortable. He settled his hand underneath his cheek as a means of cushioning, and closed his eyes again. That's when he heard the unusual, quick '_crunch_' from the other side of the den's wall. His eyes snapped open, now alarmed and wary, and he stared in a fearful concentration at the flickering flames of the fire.

_Crunch_

Carter knew something was there. He slowly sat himself upright, and made sure to keep as quiet as possible. He looked all around him nervously, but couldn't see anything threatening amongst the beach's scenery. Was it just a bird, perhaps? Or another exotic animal? He had never been to Egypt, so he wasn't sure what to expect.

Exactly.

He wasn't sure _what_ to expect. It could have been any kind of meat-eating creature. He heard they had Scorpions the size of car wheels over there! As Carter contemplated on whether he should wake the others or not, he heard a loud, fast rustling, sounding very much like feet shuffling along the ground. That was all the convincing he needed. Carter crawled onto his knees and leant over to shrug Jonathan awake. He merely snorted a few words in his sleep and slapped Carter's hand away.

"Oi, chap, wake up!" Carter hissed quietly.

Jonathan growled irritably, and simply rolled over to face his back to Carter. Carter rolled his eyes and quickly crawled across the den to Alex's side, and began shaking him instead.

"Oi! Oi, wake up!" He snapped.

Another loud crunch made him jump. He shook Alex even harder until he finally awoke from his deep slumber by whipping out the dagger from his left boot and holding it up to Carter's throat.

"Woah, woah, woah!" He yelled "It's me, Alex, old buddy!"

Alex took in his appearance, and once he confirmed that it really was him, he lowered his dagger. Slipping it back into his boot, he sat up and looked around, running his fingers through his messy blonde hair.

"Is there a reason why you woke me up in the middle of the night, Carter, _old buddy_?" He sarcastically chuckled.

_Crunch_

Carter and Alex both looked over in the direction of the noise. Carter looked back to Alex with raised, worried eyebrows, and nodded vigorously.

"Uh... kind of." He uttered.

Alex gave a serious nod "Wake the others. Be quiet 'bout it."

Carter nodded back to him and crawled off to do as he had requested. Alex rose up into a crouch and slowly eased his way towards the back of the den. By the time he had gotten there, Femi was slowly waking up, and Carter was helping her to sit upright. Alex gripped onto the side of the sheet and pulled his dagger out again. The blade twinkled in the firelight. Femi rubbed the sleep from her eyes and looked around tiredly, and still feeling fairly nauseous. Carter threw a load of sand onto Jonathan's back, and at the same time as Alex pulled back the sheet, Jonathan shot up with a loud yell and sprayed sand everywhere.

Alex jumped in fright, Jonathan kept yelling, Femi screamed from the sand and the sudden perception of what Alex was doing, and Carter fell back onto the hungry fireplace and let out a wale of agony. He rolled off of it and snuffled out his clothes in the sand, leaving the fireplace black and smoking, and the den in darkness. Carter released a sigh of relief and relaxed into the mould of sand beneath him, and looked over at Femi.

"Yeah, don't worry, I'm fine. Just fine." Carter panted.

He soon realised that her attention wasn't even remotely upon him. Neither was Jonathan's. He sat himself up and followed their focussed gazes to find whatever it was that was captivating them so. He spotted a tall, muscled figure swaying at the back of the den, and scrambled round onto his knees.

Alex narrowed his eyes to try and recognise the face of whoever it was. Their eyes were beginning to adjust to the sudden darkness, but not quick enough. He held his dagger warily out in front of him and waited.

"Who are you?" He asked sternly.

Femi cautiously, and slowly, moved her anxious hand round in front of her brother and pinched the corner of the red bag which he had been sleeping with. Just as she brought it into her lap, and began tucking it under her tight shirt, the figure released a trembling, soft breath, and took a single step forwards. One last step, and he was suddenly towering down towards the ground, right where Alex was. Alex was forced to roll out of the way before the figure crashed down into the sand, and when he looked over his shoulder, he spotted a long, thin spear sticking in his back. The man was completely unfamiliar to any of them, and they had no idea how he came to be on the same beach as them, and especially with a spear in his back! Femi inhaled a horrified gasp and her eyes widened in fear. She gripped her brother tightly and shifted worriedly upon her knees.

"They're here! They're here! They're _here_!!" She gasped over and over in a panic.

All at once, the sounds of loud battle cries and whistles, camel's groaning, hooves galloping, and ambiguous shouts sounded out from all around the small den. The sheet was suddenly torn away from the large tree and uncovered the four of them from their shelter. Femi screamed in fright, and the four of them hopped around in confused crouches to see all around them. Camels galloped around the beach area before them with riders dressed in beige and white robes on their backs. They were all holding some kind of spear or sword, and in their other hand, held flaming torches which lit their ways.

A camel suddenly came groaning out from the forest where the now dead man had come from. Before any of them knew it, the "dead" man in their shelter sprung to life with a loud, high-pitched yell, wagging his tongue fluently, and he ran back to meet the camel and leapt up onto the humped back of it. What was worse, after he had pulled the dagger from the sticky hole in the back of his robes, he charged his camel straight towards the four of them!

"Move!" Alex yelled.

They all leapt to their feet and scattered out from their destroyed shelter to escape the danger approaching. Unfortunately, they were only sent running out into the open where more was waiting for them. Femi and Carter clung to each other securely as they began dodging and weaving through the number of camels that were gurgling around them. Alex jumped from side to side and tried not to show any weakness other than not wanting to get trampled, whilst Jonathan spun and skipped and dived like the dear madman that he was. Femi ran forwards with her brother, and suddenly had to fall back into the ground as a camel came striding across their path. Not only was the sand constantly shifting beneath their active feet, but there were so many of these riders around, that they just didn't know where to run to! Carter pulled her up again and they circled on the spot, watching the attackers ride around them, as if playing with them, like a cat before it tore a mouse to pieces.

"Carter..." She muttered nervously.

Carter pulled Femi behind him and placed his hands on her sides protectively. She clung to his shoulders and kept whipping her head from left to right to keep an eye on all of the riders. They were now whistling and jeering in amusement.

Alex looked over and saw them trapped there. He clenched his fists and began making his way towards them. He wasn't going to let them hurt her.

"Femi!" He shouted worriedly.

Femi looked over at him and called his name in return. She knew he was coming for them. But just as he was approaching, a spear came soaring down towards him, out of nowhere, and mercilessly stabbed into his shoulder, and pierced through the flesh upon the top of his bone. He cried out in pain and fell down onto one knee, and Femi, Carter and Jonathan looked over in alarm.

"Alex!" Femi screamed in worry, and stared fearfully at the long spear-tip sticking through the flesh upon is shoulder.

A rider galloped past and barbarically tore the spear out of Alex's shoulder without a single care. Alex cried out again, and fell down onto his other knee in weakness.

"_Stop it_!" Femi screamed.

She tried to run towards him with Carter, but their attackers lowered their weapons towards them, and stopped them from escaping. All of the riders brought their camels to a stop, and just stared darkly at their prisoners. They were surrounded. The beach was still, once again, but this time, with a heavy atmosphere. A burning atmosphere...

Jonathan, who had just that second fallen straight over, climbed up once again and brushed his front down. He looked up to find the sharp tip of a spear pointing at his throat, and with a shocked gasp, he threw his hands up, and beamed nervously.

"I surrender. Always had. Love the robes, by the way; what are they, cotton?" He muttered.

One rider nearest to Alex shouted out to another in their mother tongue. Alex and the others couldn't make any sense of it - even Femi, who had studied Egyptian almost all her life. Femi and the others looked back and forth from the two conversers until, finally, they came to a decision.

"What are they talking about?" Carter whispered over his shoulder to Femi.

Femi shook her head and released a nervous breath through her lips, agape. The man near to Alex nudged his camel in the side and trotted towards him. He stopped beside him, and looked down in a snobbish curiosity. Alex glared up at him whilst clutching his bleeding shoulder.

"Dahk'met farh khan." Alex panted in the only Egyptian language he knew.

The rider didn't answer with words. Instead, he spun his sword round and whacked the bronze hilt of it around the back of Alex's head. Alex's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fell down into the sand on his front with a moaned sigh.

"_No_!" Femi gasped.

The man stared down upon Alex's unconscious body for a moment. He then looked over at the others surrounding Femi and Carter, and nodded. The riders began closing in on the two of them and they tried to back away. But, being in the center of the circle, made it clearly impossible.

"Come on, boys" Carter called out "Let's not be so aggressive now!"

One of the men suddenly swung the blunt end of their spear out and knocked it into the side of his head. He made a strange humming sound, and then dropped to his knees, unconscious.

"Carter!" Femi gasped.

She, too, felt an interruption of sharp, aching pain hit the back of her head. Her vision became blurry, and her stability unbalanced, and the last thing she heard before joining her brother and Alex in a dark sleep, was Jonathan shouting something about his 'religion'...

What was going to happen to them?

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_**I just want to say a huge thank you to all of you who have supported this story with your encouraging reviews. This has been my first fanfic post upon this site, but it has seemed to become quite successful and popular amongst a few of the readers here. Well, to all of you who have reviewed, I thank you deeply, and to those who have read, I thank you simply for sparing your time and hope that you're able to lose yourself if not just for a single moment; everyone deserves to escape reality once in a while.**_


	37. Waking As Prisoners

_There was a loyal warmth tingling upon Femi's skin from the friendly sun that watched over her. She had returned, yet again, the familiar field of flowers which seemed to keep visiting her dreams lately. The flowers were as colourful as ever, and the warm air was filled with sweetness, like usual. _

_Femi stood there, hands linked, and eyes blinking indifferently. She slowly circled on the spot and scanned the area for any company. The wind blew against her skin, and the flowers, brushing against her bare feet like soft cotton._

_A flash of orange then caught Femi's attention. She jumped, and spun around to locate the subject, but couldn't spot it. She knew it was that little fox again. She had seen it two times before now, so what else could it have been? And it wasn't just a coincidence that the smear was orange. It was that fox. It had to be._

_But before Femi could find out, the blue sky around her and the multicoloured flowers began fading away. Femi took a deep, accepting breath in and closed her eyes. She would just have to find that little fox next time, because now, it was time to wake up._

Femi floated across the border line which separated dream from reality, and all of her senses began drowning her. She could feel a deep, bitter ache throbbing upon the back of her head, and her legs and spine were sore and stiff. She cracked her exhausted eyes open and found herself staring down at a sandy, beige floor.

Where was she?

As she lazily lifted her head, she felt her neck crack, and she flinched weakly. She looked up and saw a pale sheet. -- A what? She took a deep breath in and straightened her aching back out, which was when she felt something hard behind it. She went to pull her hands up -- but they were bound. Femi tugged at them and turned her head left and right. She was in a large, tall tent, and had been tied to a tall, wooden post with her hands behind her, and her knees bent. Her feet were numb from the weight of her body having pressurised them so.

Femi slipped her legs out from underneath her and stretched them out before her. A wave of warm relief spread up them, and Femi sighed calmly, tilting her head back to rest it against the post. The sun from outside was vaguely escaping through the material of the tent, and the flap of the doorway was softly waving in the gentle breeze, and allowing a ray of the golden sun to fire at Femi's face. So _that_ was the warmth she had been feeling in her dream.

The flap closed again, and the tent was once again filled with gloominess. She then heard a breathless, confused grumble from somewhere behind her and froze up nervously. She remembered everything that had happened before then. Being attacked on the beach, and being knocked out. Had they brought them back to their home as prisoners??

"Where the bloody hell am I?" Carter's voice groaned.

"Carter??" Femi called out excitedly.

"F-Femi?" Carter wheezed.

Femi desperately turned her head as far as it would go, and managed to recognise Carter's figure hunched in the background out of the corner of her eye. He was also tied to a post, but differently to Femi; there was a post either side of him, and his wrists were tied onto pegs which were sticking out at the top, so his hands were high above him, and he was forced to balance on his knees. It looked painful, and from how Carter was breathing, it sounded it too.

"Are you alright?" Femi asked worriedly.

"I... Where are we??" He hissed.

Femi looked around curiously "I'm not sure... but I think we're prisoners, you know."

"Dammit." A new voice grunted, bristled.

Femi recognised it immediately, and without realising it, her heart fluttered with joy. She twisted round in her position and found Alex tied to a post on the far side of the tent to her. On the top of his shoulder, where the spear had pierced through, a load of brown cream had been smothered over it, and there were strange, red leaves within the thin slice of the flesh. What on earth was it?

"Are you alright?" Femi asked in concern.

Alex turned his stiff neck to peer down at the wound. It wasn't hurting, strangely enough. It felt cool, and soothed. Was it that gunk that had been spread all over it? Femi watched him for a moment until she was reassured that he wasn't in too much pain. She looked away again and released a little sigh of despair. It seemed that Femi was in the very middle of the tent, near the entrance door, whilst the others were scattered around. Alex looked away from his ugly wound and stared over at Fem. He kept his eyes locked upon her profile for a moment as he lifted his tired head, and a sense of slight guilt washed over him. She was tied up. Bound.

He was supposed to be protecting her.

Femi wiggled her wrists slightly, but only felt a fierce burning upon her skin. She hissed, and relaxed, and lowered her head "We're stuck."

"Argh! Crickey!" Jonathan suddenly blurted out.

He had obviously just woken up. Carter looked over at him and sighed with a frown. Jonathan was being held up in the same style that Carter was, and the impact of the pain when first waking up was... startling. Really startling. Jonathan blinked rapidly and looked around in a confused wonder.

"What the bloody hell're we doing here?" He growled.

"We're prisoners." Femi replied, frowning at the floor.

Jonathan took a moment to look around and observe the situations holding the others up "Right... prisoners... fabulous."

Carter looked over at Alex "Got any more smart ideas?"

Alex glared over at Carter. Why was everything his fault? So what if he was paid to take them safely to Egypt - there were some situations where they would actually have to think for themselves.

"Hey, I can't always come up with a promisin' idea at the exact moment that our deaths come chargin' towards us, you know. It does take a few minutes." Alex retorted.

"Exactly, and you had more than a few minutes to decide on whether we camped at the beach or not. We should have just gone straight on." Carter argued.

"Don't be stupid" Alex heaved "We were drenched all over. If we didn't get warm, we'd've caught pneumonia!"

Whilst the two of them continued to bicker like old ladies, Femi heard a deep voice call from outside. It sounded far away, but too close for her own liking. She slowly lifted her head and stared at the flap of the tent which was waving slowly in the gentle breeze. Each time that it created a small inch gap, she could see more sandy ground on the other side. Where were they, exactly?

"Boys..." Femi spoke out.

"Well if we'd kept walking then maybe we would have found a small village nearby who would have given us warm shelter." Carter sneered.

"The only villages nearby are ones like _this_! Like we had a choice!" Alex grunted impatiently.

"Boys!" Femi gasped.

"_What_?!" Carter and Alex yelled in unison.

Just as their voices reached Femi, the flapped doorway was drawn aside by someone, and the blinding light poured into the cold, dark tent. Femi gasped and turned her head away to protect her eyes, just as the others did, and she heard some scuffling footsteps walk by. She felt shadows casting across her, and knew that people had entered. She felt a hand suddenly grab onto her chin and forced her head back round. She opened her eyes and looked up at the dark silhouette which was blocking out the light.

"Mm..." The man sighed thoughtfully.

"Please... we mean no harm to you..." Femi whispered nervously.

Alex's eyes finally adjusted to the light and he observed the layout carefully. Four men dressed in brown, black and beige clothes made out of cow and goat skin were standing by the doorway, and one more man was standing before Femi, holding her chin. He had boots made of thick fur and was wearing a round, white hat on his head with a red cloth hanging from it. They all had olive-tanned skin and were built with strong muscles.

"Hey!" Alex called.

The man holding Femi snapped his curious, dark eyes over to him. Alex nudged his head up and whistled softly; he had caught the man's attention.

He let go of Femi's chin, and she was allowed to lower her head to a comfortable angle once more, and he strode over to Alex.

"Nattanday, cooay passa'har?" The man asked.

He placed his hands on his hips and glared down at Alex with his thick eyebrow raised. Alex took a few seconds to register the foreign words that he was hearing. He knew this language; it was common Egyptian, which meant Femi also understood. Alex leant his head back and gave a respectful nod.

"Tooey, natta-ta'he. Ay'raq emmem wayey." He replied clearly.

Femi was completely aware of the conversation at hand, and whilst cautiously keeping an eye on the other four men who were staring down at her, she was listening very carefully. Alex saw the expression of the large man soften, and he leant back slightly.

"You speak English?" He asked.

Alex smiled in slight relief "Yeah. English."

"English!" Carter laughed happily.

Alex, Jonathan and the Egyptian man looked over at Carter with raised eyebrows. Carter cleared his throat with slight embarrassment and averted his gaze.

"Good... carry on then." He muttered.

Jonathan rolled his eyes, and Alex and the other man went back to their conversation. But the man had other plans. He looked over to the other four men in the doorway and gave a nod of order, and they all nodded in reply before crouching down around Femi and beginning to untie her hands.

"W-what are you doing?" She asked worriedly "Haqu'bah nessay?!"

"Hey, hey!" Alex shouted "Hey, what're you doin'??"

"Get your hands off of me! _Off_!" Femi shouted angrily, as though they were little dogs, jumping up at her.

The men pulled Femi to her feet, and two of them then waltzed over to Jonathan and Carter, and began untying them as well.

"Argh - easy, boys!" Carter growled as they tugged upon his arms.

The 2 men chose either Jonathan or Carter to guard, and led them back over to the doorway with their hands gripping their shoulders tightly. The last man, who had been previously keeping Femi still, walked over to where Alex was tied up and knelt down behind him to untie his ropes.

"'De Chief... wish 'do see you." The large man (who appeared to be in charge of the operation) stated.

Alex was pulled up from the wooden post by his forearm, and as soon as he was stably standing, he spun round and punched the man who had untied him hard in the face. The man fell back into the sheeted wall of the tent and pulled a great amount of pressure upon the main post, in the center, which was holding it all up. The structure of the skeleton was very similar to a Tipi. The large man behind Alex grabbed him on the shoulder where his wound was, and he growled out in pain, and a wave of determined anger drowned out any serenity he had. Alex spun around to face the man pulling him and blasted a ferociously vicious punch up into his chin. Alex then rammed him back into the main post of the tent, and with such force, the large man slammed into it and nudged it out of place. With one of Femi's startled screams, and the men keeping them at bay letting out yells of alarm, the tent completely collapsed and the sheets floated to the ground, covering them all.

Femi lifted herself up from the ground and quickly crawled off in any direction to get away from the men who were now reaching around for her. She had no idea where she was going, but she just kept moving, with her panicked eyes staring furiously at the floor, and the sheets sliding across the back of her. Voices were yelling all around, and she could hear thuds and breaths of the other men, or perhaps Alex or Carter.

Femi spotted the muscly legs of the man whom Alex had been talking with wagging about in front of her, and she gasped in fright, and quickly steered away in another direction. Just as she did so, however, her head bashed into the forehead of Jonathan. He flinched loudly and leant back to rub his forehead, just as Femi did.

"Jonathan!" She gasped "Where are the others?"

"You tell me -- ouch, what's your head made of anyway, _steel_?" He hissed.

Femi rolled her eyes and crawled on past him "Come on."

Jonathan turned himself around and followed on behind Femi. His eyes, however, were soon glued to Femi's slender behind which was waddling from side to side right in front of him. Femi kept her hands and knees marching along the rough, sandy ground and tried to see what was approaching, but the air that was keeping the distance between the sheets and the ground was slowly escaping through the material. To Femi's relief, she finally felt the end of the sheet slide over her face, and the sunlight poured down upon her once more. She inhaled a deep, urgent breath, filling her hot lungs with heavenly oxygen, and forced herself to climb up to a poor excuse of a standing position. She turned around and pulled Jonathan up beside her once he came out from beneath the waving, shifting sheets, and the two of them brushed themselves down and tried to catch their breaths.

They could see the figures of the crawling bodies forming into the material, and hands slapping upwards in an effort to find the sunlight. Femi wiped her hair back from her forehead and quickly patted her hands against her side to check that the red bag was still there, cushioning her.

"Ok..." She breathed out, nodding.

"Ok? _Ok_??" Jonathan repeated in a panic "How could this possibly be ok?!"

Femi stomped her foot "Oh Jonathan, do be quiet! Your pessimistic whining won't do us any good!"

"Oi, give us a hand will you!" Carter's voice growled out.

Femi and Jonathan both looked down to see him peeping out from under the sheet. They both crouched down, grabbing each of his hands, and pulled him out into the open quite easily. He stood up and brushed himself down, and when he finally looked up to face them both... he froze. Femi recognised a fearful dread in his eyes, which were staring straight past her. Femi swallowed, and with Jonathan, fragmentarily eased her way around to accept the next worse issue at hand.

A large group of men, holding spears, and daggers, dressed in cow-skin clothing and revealing their muscly torsos and legs were standing there, staring at them. They all had some kind of delicate tattoo upon their faces, whether it was a few patterned dots along their cheeks, or curving lines above their eyebrows. It probably stood for some kind of tribe or religion.

"Any ideas, boys?" Femi whispered.

"Can't think of anything right now..." Carter whispered back.

Oh dear. Femi wondered how they were going to get out of this one.


	38. Allies After All

As the three of them stared helplessly out at the group of intimidating, armed men, Alex suddenly came rolling out from underneath the lively sheets and arrived at Femi's heels. As though her guardian angel had thrown him out for her. Alex looked around in a slight daze, and once he gathered everything up, he quickly stood to his feet and clutched the side of his wounded shoulder protectively. He noticed the fear upon Femi's face and followed her gaze, and finding the group of rough-looking warriors, he jumped back with a mocking grimace of disgust.

"Woah!" He growled in distaste "You guys really need a bath!"

"_Alex_" Femi hissed "Don't you think you've tried quite enough of the resistant, insulting method? Maybe we should just... obey them."

"Thanks, but I'd rather not be made into the next decent stew around here." Alex growled, whilst eyeing the warriors very carefully.

"You don't know that they want to hurt us. They healed your shoulder for you, after all, didn't they?" Femi snapped impatiently.

"Tatamah' ooay! Sa'afrh eebala, soquell cocol!" One of the men shouted.

Femi shook her head and took a step forwards "Aratuay, nabaie'hk!"

"For Christ's sake, they speak English! Will everyone just speak bloody English, _please_!" Carter shouted in an angry confusion.

Jonathan rolled his eyes and leant in towards Carter "He called us trespassers, and told us to obey their orders, or there would be more injuries, and Femi told them that this is all a big misunderstanding."

Carter blinked in surprise "I say, old chap -- you understand this jibber-jabber?"

"Fluently" Jonathan admitted with a proud smile "Egyptian."

"_Enough_." An unfamiliar, deep, yet wispy voice interrupted.

Femi and the boys turned their heads and looked over to where it came from. There stood a tall, heavy-muscled man wearing a puffy, fur hat, and a cow skin skirt, revealing his toned legs, stomach, chest, shoulders and arms. He had a leather, red bracelet around his wrist and held a long, wooden cane in his left hand which had unusual patterns carved into them. Upon his tanned face, he had a swirl drawn upon the corner of each eye, and a small, golden hoop hanging from his nose like a bull. _This_ was the leader. _This_ was the 'chief'.

"Come wid' me." He demanded, and lifted his staff from the sandy ground.

Alex clenched his fists angrily and turned towards the leader. He stepped forwards, as to attack him, but Femi placed her hand on his elbow and pulled him back.

"No, Alex." She hissed.

Alex glared out at the large, furred man "Why the hell not?"

"Maybe we should just listen to them. They haven't acted hostile towards us in any way apart from in self defence." Femi explained in a polite whisper.

"They attacked us on the beach, Femi" Alex snipped through his gritted teeth "I'm not gonna' stand here and let them"--

"_Please_, Alex" Femi sighed, sounding desperate "Please... just wait a little longer..."

Alex slowly moved his eyes away from the Chief, and looked down at Femi. Matching her voice, her eyes were full of desperation. As well as hope. This girl just couldn't say a bad word about anyone, could she. Always looking on the bright side of everything. Such a saint... and Alex knew he couldn't stand up to her. Those innocent eyes, and her selfless soul. She was right.

"Ugh" Alex grunted and slowly, and stubbornly, backed down "F..._fine_."

As Femi, Alex, Jonathan and Carter were led by The Chief to their destined location, they soon came to realise that this 'campsite' was far bigger than they had ever assumed it to be. It was located in between two, tall, rocky mountains which stood as mighty walls that hid the Village from danger's sight, and the Village itself consisted of a small town made of stone, and Tipi tents randomly position here and there, where there was room. The Village wasn't big, but it wasn't small either, and it was filled with life that none of them expected.

As they walked along the thin, sandy road that seemed to cut straight through the Village, the children of the tribe ran out from their houses and put their games on hold to chase them from behind and cheer excitedly. Femi knew she should have been nervous, and uncomfortably, but she couldn't help smiling at them as they came up to her and began observing her clothes curiously as though they were the strangest things they had ever seen.

Cattle roamed the uneven pathways freely, munching on any of the crops that the Egyptian Desert would allow these people to grow, and the women who were working around them would shoo them away with wide waves of their hands, and angry yells. The children would giggle at this, and run off to dance and skip around the cows and camels in a spirited manner. The whole atmosphere was burning with warmth, and affection, and _safety_. The houses were low-down, so that when you stepped in through their front doors, you were taken down a few steps before reaching the concrete ground. The windows were covered up with random cloths and sheets, and the pens for the animals (which were supposed to be in use, but obviously weren't) were made from thick sticks of wood and clay.

All in all, it appeared that the Village was being run by good hands, and the tribe knew exactly what they were doing. As Femi and the boys were taken along the path, not only did the children stop to admire them, but a fair few of the men and women around the Village turned to watch them pass.

"Why are they all staring at us?" Carter whispered, without moving his lips.

Femi was observing everything in an amazed daze "... They're not used to us."

Carter scoffed "Well, that's ironic. They're living in stone houses, for crying out loud."

"Carter" Femi snipped "Disrespectful comments like that will cost you your head in a place like this."

Carter pulled a funny face at her and rocked his head from side to side "Oh, I'm so sorry. What, are you in love with this place all of a sudden?"

Femi ignored his childish sarcasm and returned to observing everything that passed by. Alex watched her from behind and noticed just how fascinated Femi was with this prehistoric Village. He snickered to himself, and stared out at the Villagers as he passed, sending them vulgar looks of offence. The Chief took the four of them past a small house, and then came to the top of a flight of stone steps, which took them down into a cleared area of the Village. It was a large area, which had large tree trunks sitting around the perimeter, as if for benches. They had Egyptian symbols and words carved into them that caught Femi's attention quite quickly. The clearing was surrounded by tall mountain walls, but there was no ceiling, and so the pale-blue sky was clearly visible to them still. In the very center of the clearing, the floor was stained a charcoal black, and there was a dead fire waiting to be rebuilt. This must have been where the celebrations took place. At the very end of the clearing was a wide tent made from sheets of different materials, and with wooden posts lined along them, holding them in place.

It was The Chief's tent.

The Chief took them across the clearing, and when he reached his tent, he pulled aside the thick carpet-like door and stepped aside. He looked back at them all, and gave a nod, and waved his hand.

"Enter." He told them.

The boys all stood there and stared at him like he was insane. Femi rolled her eyes and impatiently stepped past Jonathan, and made her way to the entrance. She bowed her head respectfully to The Chief upon entering, and he nodded gratefully. Femi shot a forceful glare over her shoulder at the boys to make sure they followed her exact behaviour, and then turned away to admire the tent.

Carpets with multicoloured weavings and fascinating patterns covered the wide floor area, and had thin coatings of dusty sand which had been carried in from the outside. There were three posts standing with equal spaced in between each other which were holding up the ceiling, and there was a small fire cracking in the very middle of the floor. Pillows and blankets were suffocating the bare mattress of straw that lay over in the far corner of the tent, which had an insect net hanging around it, and there were plenty of unusual decorations such as symbols hanging from string, and statues sitting around by the walls. It smelt of herbs, and it was very warm. Comfortably. Homey.

"Woah..." Carter sighed in awe after entering behind Alex and Jonathan.

"Sid'." The Chief ordered.

He walked past Femi and sat down on the floor on one side of the small fire with his legs crossed comfortably. Femi and the boys exchanged awkward glances with each other in deciding what to do, but after Femi's lead, they all ended up kneeling before The Chief on the other side of the fire to him. They all sat still and waited for The Chief to say something as he stared at them in such a scrutinising manner.

He finally parted his dry lips, and spoke "Why are you on my land, whide sdrangers?"

Carter narrowed his eyes at the odd, offensive question, and Femi cleared her throat softly. She shot him a reassuring glare, and Carter relaxed.

"Please, Sir, we did not mean to offend you. We were shipwrecked, and washed up on the beach... we did not know that it belonged to you." Femi slowly explained.

Carter and Jonathan each raised an eyebrow, and glanced warily at each other. Was that going to cut it? The Chief raised a thick eyebrow and lifted his chin superiorly.

"Where have you come from?" He asked.

"England" Alex sighed with a bored tone of voice "We came all the way from England to get to The Valley of The Kings, and our journey hasn't exactly been an easy one. So with all do respect, 'Chief', we really don't have time to sit around n' play prisoners n' captors right now."

Femi closed her eyes tightly and prepared herself for The Chief's furious reaction. But... it never came. She bravely cracked one of her eyes open, and instead of fuming, The Chief was... staring. His eyes were filled with curiosity, now.

"Why do you 'dravel to 'de Valley of 'de Kings?" He asked calmly.

Alex paused for a moment, and glanced at Femi. She sighed heavily and averted her uncomfortable gaze to the floor.

"There is something we must do there. Something we must solve." She carefully told him.

"A 'drial?" He asked with interest.

Femi hesitated "Well... yes, a type of trial."

The Chief nudged his head up "Whad' kind of 'drial?"

Femi looked over at Alex for some kind of support - which didn't involved any rude comments or disrespectful snaps. He sighed in a slight stress and shook his head at her. He didn't know what to do. But he had to try. He looked back to The Chief and sat up proudly, and confidently.

"We can't tell you, Chief." He stated.

Femi rolled her eyes and shook her head. Well, that would definitely save the day. The Chief narrowed his eyes and pulled his fist to his chest, where he struck it with a gentle pound.

"You can 'dell 'de Chief. I wan' 'do know. You will 'dell 'de Chief." He ordered.

Femi and Alex sighed to themselves and gazed miserably at the floor. As Femi did this, she noticed a particular pattern in the carpet beneath her. It was... a Diamond. Femi narrowed her eyes in thought and brushed her finger tip upon the sewed picture.

"Chief... what is this?" She asked softly.

The Chief leant forwards to examine the symbol she was asking about. He saw the Diamond, and gave a little grunt of acknowledgement before leaning back again.

"Dat Diamond... id' is 'de key 'do whad' our 'dribe worships. 'De key 'do Egyp's weapon." He stated monotonously.

Femi lifted her eyebrows hopefully, and Alex blinked several times. It couldn't have been... Could it?

Femi licked her lips nervously, and pointed to the picture again "Chief... this is... The Diamond Heart? The key to the Chamber of the Sadem Trah?"

The Chief's expression changed, and he actually showed some sign of an emotion. It was shock. Shock and... anger? Oh dear. Not anger!

Without warning, The Chief suddenly sprung to his feet, and leapt right over the fire towards Femi and the boys. They all scurried backwards on the floor and stared up at him in alarm. The Chief drew a long, sharp dagger and held it down towards them all.

"You know aboud' Sadem 'drah? How??" He shouted warily.

Femi held her hand up in defence "P-Please! We are no threat to The Diamond Heart!"

Alex growled angrily "So back off, baldy, before things get messy!"

"Alex!" Femi gasped in worry.

"What? He's wavin' his little toy at us, actin' like some kind of King??" Alex snapped back.

"Well technically, Alex, he _is_ a King, to his tribe!" Femi reminded him.

The Chief stepped towards Femi and towered over her "'Dell me how!!"

"She's The Guardian, mister! So I'd just take a step back before you do something you'll regret!" Carter threatened him.

The Chief froze, and his eyes slowly widened. Femi whipped her head round to glare over at her older brother, and he blinked cluelessly.

"What??" He snorted.

"I can't believe you just told him that!" Femi shouted.

"What's he going to do, tell the newspapers? I'd rather be alive than die hiding a crazy secret to this stinky old chap." Carter grumbled.

"That's not the point, Carter..." Femi uttered bitterly.

The Chief dropped his dagger to the ground, and the sound of it thudding against the ground brought everyone back to reality. They all looked at The Chief, and found him lowered down on one knee before Femi, with his head bowed graciously. Femi's eyes widened in complete shock, and they flickered over him in confusion.

"Uh..."--

"'De Guardian of the Sadem Trah..." He sighed deeply.

Femi chuckled nervously and shook her head "No. No, no... please..."-

The Chief lifted his head and looked straight into her eyes "My Village welcomes you wid' 'de bluest sky, and 'de goldest of suns. Wid' 'de palest of moons, and softesd' of winds, and 'de faddest of meats."

Carter leant his head towards Jonathan "And the craziest of crack-pots..."

The Chief, fortunately, hadn't heard this comment - he wouldn't have understood it, even if he had, however. The Chief held his hand up to Femi, and she flinched nervously. But the hand just stayed there, palm-up, as though waiting for something to be placed within it. The Chief watched Femi with a gentle patience, and he held his posture stiffly.

"I think he wants your hand." Alex whispered.

Femi raised a nervous eyebrow "Uh..."

"Do it, Femi, jeez. It's just a hand. Not like you have to marry him." Carter snickered.

Femi shot him an annoyed glance, and then slowly lifted her hand out. She slipped it into the palm of The Chief's, and he leant forwards to touch the back of it to his sweaty forehead. Femi looked over at the boys whilst he wasn't looking and sent them a desperate look of plead, and confusion. The three of them shrugged cluelessly, and just shook their heads at her. It was obvious that none of them knew what the hell was going on.


	39. Tender Words

**Author's Note**_: I just want to apologise for the long delay in updates! I am really appreciative to all those who are reading, and I can't thank you enough for all of your bubbly reviews. Seeing as this was my first ever fanfic on here, you have all made it an excellently encouraging first attempt _

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Minutes seemed to have passed since the Chief touched his forehead to Femi's hand. It was beginning to grow awkward. Femi cleared her throat politely and peered down at him.

"Erm... Chief?" She called softly.

The Chief slowly lifted his head and leant back. He released Femi's hand and she brought it into her lap neatly. He stared at her in a dreamy concentration, and she retreated into herself uncomfortably. She felt so vulnerable beneath his stare. Alex noticed her disfavour and cleared his throat roughly; the Chief snapped his eyes onto him, and slowly relaxed.

"Who are you?" He asked the three boys.

Carter waved his hand "I'm the brother" He pointed to Alex "That's the guide, and his uncle."

"Protectors of 'de Guardian?" He asked.

Femi arched an eyebrow at his odd question and peered round at them. Alex, Jonathan and Carter... her guardians. As odd as it was, it sort of had a nice ring to it. And it was partly true, as well. The three of them had been awfully helpful towards keeping her safe.

"Well, not really 'protectors" Alex snickered "More like her... escorts."

The Chief nodded in consideration "I see. You have looked after her. Broughd' her here safely. Great honour will be bestowed upon you from 'de Gods."

Carter's nose wrinkled slightly, and he made a sound of confusion under his breath. The Chief was a complete nut-job. Femi sighed, intrigued, and shifted into a different, comfortable position, and an enticed smile began to form as she watched The Chief.

"Chief" She began, interested deeply "You... you said the Diamond Heart is... _the key_... to what your tribe worships. Does that mean the Pharaoh's army?"

"_No_" The Chief barked in offence, and everyone except Alex jumped in surprise "Never should 'de Pharaoh's army have been created. Our Ancestors protected the Sadem 'drah, 'do never allow the army 'do be awoken, and used. 'De dead sday where 'dey are mean' 'do be."

"So you... your tribe respects the rule of it never being used." Femi repeated, more to herself than anyone.

The Chief nodded "We follow 'de sdeps of our ancestors, and continue 'deir work. 'Dey protect Sadem 'drah, we protect Sadem 'drah... but now, 'de Guardian has come back, as 'de prophecy in 'de blue fire 'dells"-

-"_The blue fire_?" Alex interrupted.

"'De blue fire, 'dat speaks of our pasts, and 'de events 'dat are 'do come in 'de fudure. 'De blue fire combines our memories, and predictions, 'do create 'de importances 'do our 'dribe." The Chief explained.

"Are you mad?" Jonathan snickered in his atheism.

The Chief sent him a wary stare, but soon moved on, and forgot he had ever heard his mousy muffle. Femi looked down at the picture of the diamond in the carpet beside her and tilted her head curiously. Her finger tips stroked around the rim of it, and danced vaguely upon the patterns as she became mystified.

"If Meela manages to obtain the Diamond, everything will be over..." Femi whispered.

The Chief's brow creased as he heard her words. Meela? Who was she? And why did she want the Diamond Heart?

"Meela?" He asked.

Femi sighed softly and looked up at him. She knew that he and his tribe had the right to know what was going on. They needed to.

"Anuk-su-namun's reincarnation -- well, ex-reincarnation" Alex rolled his eyes "It's a long, complicated story..."

Femi picked up from where he had left off "She is after the Diamond Heart. She has already located and collected the Parallel Stars... all she needs is the Diamond Heart. She is going to use the Pharaoh's Army, not only to release havoc upon the world, but also... to resurrect Imhotep."

"Imhotep..." The Chief repeated bitterly "Id' cannod' be."

"It is, Chief. Meela and her men have chased us all the way to Egypt, and every time, they have gotten closer and closer to catching it." Femi reassured him, her voice filling with slight stress.

"And _Femi_" Carter added "Meela seems to think that Femi will help her locate the Chamber of the Sadem Trah."

The Chief's eyes flickered here and there upon the sandy floor as he added up all of the facts. He gave a few slow, short nods, as if agreeing to himself, and licked his lips.

"...Your visions shall lead her 'do 'de door." The Chief muttered thoughtfully.

At the mention of Femi's visions, she suddenly felt very uncomfortable again, and lowered her head. Alex glanced sideways at her and remembered the dispute they had in the barn at Erk's house. But it wasn't like that anymore. Femi soon felt the Chief's eyes burning upon the top of her head and closed her eyes, sighing. Of course... her visions. Her memories. The Guardian obviously has something to do with the whereabouts of the Chamber, in order to be called 'the guardian'. Quite obviously, Femi would recall the way, straight to the door... Femi was practically Meela's map.

"She wants my memory, then." Femi whispered in her final realisation.

"Yes." The Chief confirmed.

Femi released a sharp, mournful sigh and shook her head at the floor, "He knew. Father knew all about this..."

"What're you saying, Femi?" Carter asked.

She tilted her head round to peer up at him gloomily, "That's why he sent us to the O'Connells, in his letter. Not just for the sake of the Diamond Heart, but for the... visions" Femi covered her cheek with her hand "And he still let them take him prisoner. As his office was a mess... and"-

Femi cut herself off with a swallow. To push down her emotions. If she let them up, she would cry. And crying wasn't going to get her anywhere. But down there, she was blocking her guilt, and worry. It wasn't all just because of The Diamond Heart anymore. It was also because of her. So many people. Her father. The taxi driver. Evie and Rick. Moss, and his friend. Erk. All these people had to suffer.

Alex watched Femi with a ticking mind. He knew what she was thinking, and probably feeling. He could see the guilt in her expression. She was taking it out on the carpet with her disheartened eyes. For that moment, everything else disappeared, and all he saw was Femi's aching, innocent heart. He wanted to stop it. Make it go away. He didn't want to see her like that. But... why?

"How long have 'dey been chasing you?" The Chief asked.

"At least a week now" Jonathan sighed tiresomely "You know, these people really need to get another hobby other than 'trying to take over the world'. It's really getting old now."

The Chief nodded considerably. These people were obviously determined on stealing the Diamond Heart, and Femi. But he couldn't allow that to happen. The Chief suddenly cleared his throat rather optimistically, and shuffled to his feet. Everyone looked up to him, and he held his hands out towards them. A warm smile was now showing, and his eyes full of life.

"Come, my friends. We shall have a gread' feast under 'de full moon, 'do celebrate your company here. May you use our home as id' was yours" He offered kindly "We have food, healthy clothes, hod' springs and plenty of water to quench your thir"--

"Did you say hot springs?" Femi gasped.

A smirk pinched at the corner of Alex's lips. It was just like her to be more interested in the pampering than anything.

The Chief nodded to her "In 'de caves, ad' 'de base of Mountain East."

Femi's eyes flooded with excitement and joy. Hot springs! Not just a bathtub with a bar of soap, but **hot springs**!!

Jonathan cleared his throat weakly to catch the Chief's attention, and when he had, he lifted his hand in the air like a schoolboy asking for permission to speak from his teacher. The Chief did so by nodding.

"You wouldn't by any chance have any pain-killers, would you?" He asked hopefully, and rubbed the stiff small of his back.

The Chief began laughing loudly, and hugged his round tummy "Pain-killers! I have exacdly whad' you boys may be looking for. Come, come!"

He walked past them all, still laughing, and stroked the curtained doorway aside to let himself through. Jonathan and Carter took a second to look at each other, as to question each other on what The Chief had meant, but it didn't take much longer before they both decided to race each other to the doorway, and burst out into the light. Now, it was just Femi and Alex.  
Alex took a deep, comfortable breath in and stood up to brush himself down. He held his hand out to Femi to help her up, but saw that she was frowning ruefully at the floor again.

Alex paused, and searched for something to say that would lighten her mood "Lookin' forward to those hot-springs, huh?"

He chuckled, and then stopped, as he noticed that Femi wasn't reacting. He sighed in defeat and let his hand fall limp by his side.

"You can't blame yourself for any of this... It's how it is. You didn't choose this story." He uttered.

Femi slowly looked up at him. The expression in her eyes made Alex freeze, and just stare at her. God, now, more than anything, did he want to wrap her up in a cloud of safety. She looked like a frightened little girl who had lost... everything.

"Why is this happening?" She whispered.

How could Alex answer that one? He felt like he had the weight of the world upon his shoulders. He wanted to say exactly the right thing in reply to her. He wanted her to be _alright_.

Femi shook her head sadly, "Why do these things happen? It doesn't make any sense..."

"We don't get to decide our lives, or what fate has in stall for us, I guess" Alex wisely stated (which was rather strange for Alex, wouldn't you say?) "All we can do is try to improve whatever bad things come our way. Make things right when they go wrong... stay strong when all we wanna' do is be weak... trust in ourselves, when we feel like we've accomplished nothin'. We can't let those things take over us, ya' know? We gotta' stay cool..."

Femi looked away from him, just for a moment, as she ran over what he was saying. It made perfect sense. It wasn't that Femi didn't know any of this to begin with, but she just needed some reminding. Just... a little push.

"They're alright, aren't they?" Femi then asked, and her voice sounded distant, and ashamed, "Your parents, and my father?"

Femi gazed back up at him with her eyebrows arched sadly, and her lips curving downwards in a gentle frown. Alex stared into her eyes and tried to steal way her fear and sadness. How could he have come to feel so protective over her? That wasn't how it should have been. Alex didn't plan that. He was just her guide - her 'escort', as he had put it. So what the hell was happening? What was this lady doing to him?

"I don't think... I don't think I could bare it if they weren't," Femi whispered, and her voice cracked weakly, "Seeing as... I was the one who..."-

Alex sighed guiltily, "Don't think like that. Femi, guilt don't help colonels when they're in a War..."

"But I'm not a fighter!" Femi snapped as her emotions began to overwhelm her.

She was scared, angry and guilty all at the same time. Her eyes stared up at Alex furiously even though a mighty amount of sadness and vulnerability were lurking behind that. Femi suddenly realised how she had snapped out at Alex, and slowly calmed herself, and glanced back down at her lap.

"Tell me... tell me that they're alright, Alex," She whispered, and peered up at him "_Please_."

Alex watched her for a moment. She was so confused over everything that she was feeling. Above all times, now, she needed comforting reassurance. Alex calmly lowered down to the ground and crouched beside Femi - all the while, he never looked away from her desperate eyes. They stared at each other in a tender silence as Femi waited for him to reply. Her mind was flooding with disturbing thoughts based upon the safety of Evie, Rick and her father.

Alex placed a hand on Femi's shoulder, and he gave her a single, serious nod "Our parents... they can handle themselves. They're not just anybodies. They're O'Connells. Reynolds... Survivors."

Alex's' words had inspired Femi. He was right. Her father _was_ a survivor. He wouldn't let someone as pathetic as Meela break him. He was waiting. Waiting for her to come and rescue him.

"Yes..." Femi whispered, and nodded "You're right..."

The need for words drifted away, and the two of them gazed strangely at each other. Alex's hand was still resting on her dainty shoulder, but now, she could feel his grip clenching in the faintest. So delicately. So affectionately.

"What the bloody hell are you two waiting for in there?!" Jonathan laughed from outside of the tent.

"Do you want to stuff your faces or not?!" Carter added, cheering.

Femi chuckled lightly and lowered her head, whilst Alex just shook his head. Those boys were just... two of a kind. Alex wouldn't admit it to himself, but all he wanted to do was stay where he was at that moment, with his hand on Femi... but he knew he couldn't. It was without question. It couldn't be. And so, he heaved a sigh, and rose to his feet, and held his hand out to Femi.

"Shall we? Like I was sayin', there's a pretty nice hot spring with your name on it." He playfully told her.

Femi gazed up at him with a tender warmth. Alex wasn't quite sure how to take it, but he held his ground, and made sure not to react. Femi soon reached up and slipped her warm, soft hand into his. God, what a hand. Alex couldn't stand how often these unexpected thoughts and feelings were appearing inside of him. Why were they happening??

"Thank you." Femi whispered.

Alex pulled her up onto her feet, and coincidentally, she landed directly in front of him with just a couple of insignificant inches between them both. Their eyes were locked together like the opposite ends of magnets. Femi's cheeks were now blushing. Alex's breathing was almost inaudible.

_The two of them were so blind and stubborn that they couldn't, or more truthfully, wouldn't, see what was forming between them._

"We should probably... go..." Femi whispered, dazed.

"Yeah... go..." Alex agreed in the same foggy cloud.

Neither of them moved. They couldn't force themselves to. However, fortunately for them (or so they thought), Jonathan swished the large, fabric door aside and marched into the room, creating a load of ruckus, and pouring the bright sun's light into the dusky tent.

"Oi!" Jonathan yelled, and Femi and Alex spun away from each other, embarrassed "What..."--

Jonathan cut himself off at seeing the two of them so... stiff. They had their backs directly facing each other, and they were both glancing around uncomfortably or just staring at their hands. The atmosphere was thick. Heavy. Something was definitely going on.

Jonathan raised an eyebrow, "...Everything alright in here?"

"Yeah, yeah... great."  
"Of course! Haha, yes, perfect." The two of them uttered and chuckled in unison.

They slowly stopped chuckling and realised that... nothing was funny. Jonathan was now watching them as thought they needed serious help.

"Well, are we all ready to go?" Femi gasped and placed her hands together.

Alex coughed quietly, "Yep. I'm all good."

"Right. Shall we then Jonathan?" She asked him with a smile.

He nodded curiously, and Femi and Alex casually strolled on by him. He turned around to watch them go, but as relaxed as they appeared... he knew there was something he had still missed. They were odd, those two.

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The exotic peace was broken by a noisy, fluttering humming through the clear sky. It soared over the beige, sandy ground, and when it finally found a spot to land, it started to slowly lower towards it. A number of people sat in the back - perhaps a few too many over the limit - and a woman in the front.

Meela.

The small plane hadn't even touched the ground yet before Meela yanked on her door-handle and pushed it open. The pilot glanced at her nervously as she turned to jump, but he didn't dare attempt to persuade her to stay. He was her prisoner after all. Meela jumped out of the plane and landed firmly upon her strong feet in a crouch, so not to get hit by the propellers above. She walked out into the open, her eyes slightly squinted, and her dark hair waving about her beautiful face gracefully. She was finally here.

_Home_.

Meela stood gazing out at the miles of dry ground and blue sky throughout the time it took the plane to land, and close down. Her eyes were filled with a dreamy delight, but her smile was wicked, and bloodthirsty.

"Has it been so long?" She whispered coldly.

The passenger doors groaned outwards and at least twelve of Meela's men loaded out from inside -- pulling along 3 bounded, helpless captives behind them... They led them out from underneath the slowly-spinning propellers and stopped them behind Meela. One of them began cursing madly behind the filthy, bloody cloth that was gagging him. Meela was torn away from her reflective musing, and rotated on her heels, crunching them into the dirt. Her eyes fixed upon the handsome, bruised man that was glaring venomously at her.

"Why so gloomy, O'Connell? Aren't you glad to be back in Egypt?" She teased.

Rick tried to shake free the men holding him, but it was no use. Evie, beside him, slammed the heel of her boot down onto the foot of the man keeping her at bay and he cried out and began hopping gracelessly on the spot. He threw her to the floor in his anger, and Rick reacted badly, by head-butting him right in the nose.

"Enough!" Meela hissed, and punched Rick hard in the stomach with her elbow.

Rick coughed breathlessly and bent over a little. He was obviously trying to hide his pain. Meela stroked her hair back and looked down at Evie.

"Pick yourself up, woman; you're embarrassing yourself." She tutted.

Evie remained on the ground with angry tears in her eyes. There was only one person on her mind: her darling Alex. But her rebellious attitude was ignored, and instead, she was yanked up onto her feet by two other rough men. The third and final prisoner decided it was their turn and started yelling demands and threats at Meela behind their gag. Meela chuckled at the person, and placed her fingers to her ear.

"What's that, Reynolds? You'll have to speak up." She taunted.

Brian resorted to snarling angrily, and turned his head away. There was no use in trying to speak. She was right.

"I'm beginning to sense a barrier between our trust here," Meela sarcastically twittered, and began pacing along the 3 parents, "I know you all must be so frustrated, but I assure you, there's no need to be. You'll all see your little 'babies' in no time... I assure you."

She smirked slyly at them all which only made them even angrier. How dare she speak about their children so carelessly. Meela turned away from them all before she could catch their harsh glares. She inhaled a deep, loving breath to fill her lungs with the warm, Egyptian air, and then released it, sighing dreamily.

"Right. Let's get a move on... We are being expected."


	40. Make Yourselves At Home

**_Author's Note_**:_ I just want to thank all of those who have so kindly reviewed upon the chapters of this fanfic. It really is appreciated, and gives the writer so much confidence So thank you. I'm sorry it's taken so long to update, but it's here now, so enjoy:D_

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The Village was filled with laughter from the excited children that were jogging along side Femi and the boys. She smiled down at them all and allowed them to pull softly at her hands and feel her "strange clothes". They were all so interested. Jonathan and Carter, on the other hand, weren't to keen on their little hands patting at their bottoms and legs.

"**OI**!" Jonathan yelped.

The children erupted with hyper giggles and jumped away from Jonathan. As soon as he turned his back to them once more, they all ran up behind him, and slapped his bottom again. It was all some sort of game to them. Jonathan jumped into the air with his hands on each side and spun around to glare at them all. They screamed childishly and ran up to the front where The Chief was leading them all.

"Bloody kids." Jonathan whispered under his breath.

"I think they like you, unc." Alex smirked from behind.

"Oh, yeah, I like 'em too -- locked up in a boarding school. Rules, that's what these critters need. _Rules_, and a good spanking too." He lectured.

Alex rolled his eyes at his typical uncle and, turning his head slightly, his attention caught onto Femi as she interacted with the playful children. They seemed to love her already. In fact, Alex had come to notice that most people felt an immediate liking towards little old Reynolds over there. She was a sweetheart, right? _Dammit, Alex, **stop** that!_

A little girl pushed her way up to the front and held her hand up to Femi. She was pinching a little green plant in between her finger tips which had minute, yellow berries upon the end of it. Femi smiled gratefully at the sweet child and took it up from her fingers.

"Dh'akk meht?" Femi asked, meaning _"for me?"_

The little girl nodded, giggling. Femi felt the berries with her fingertips and nodded to the little girl.

"Memnah." She chuckled -- _"thank you"_.

"My name is Syatari." The little girl told her.

Femi's eyebrows lifted with impress "You speak English?"

"Of course - we all do." Syatari laughed.

She suddenly ran off with the other children and disappeared around a small stone hut. Femi stared after them all in a thoughtful silence, stroking the berries tenderly.

"The kids like you, huh." Alex's voice interrupted her.

She looked over at him and smiled, "Not as much as they seem to enjoy teasing your uncle."

The two of them glanced in his direction. 4 new children of the village were creeping up behind him. Every time that he looked round to the right, they would hide to the left of him, and then do the same if he looked to the left. Alex and Femi laughed quietly at the amusing sight.

The four of them were taken to the very edge of the village and came to a large arching entrance in the foot of the Right Mountain. The rim of the arch was decorated with Egyptian symbols which had been carved into the stone, and two guards stood stiffly either side of it with sharp spears in their hands. Upon seeing the Chief approaching, they dropped to one knee and bowed their heads. The Chief laughed happily and held his hands up in a protest.

"Rise." He ordered.

The two men recomposed themselves and nodded in thanks to their leader. He turned around to face Femi and the others, placing his hands together, and smiled at them all.

"My friends, my 'dwo guards will lead you 'do your meals if you are hungry. If nod', 'den please, follow me." He informed them.

Carter and Jonathan were quick to decide where they were going and nodded to each other, and lifted their hands gingerly, as if students in a classroom. The Chief chuckled knowingly and nodded.

"Very well." He sighed.

Femi looked to Alex, as he did her. They knew they would be parting for a short while. Femi smiled softly at him and tucked a curl behind her ear.

"Well... enjoy your meal." She told him.

"You aren't eating?" He asked, disappointed almost.

Femi placed her hand to her sore stomach "I don't think I could..."

She laughed at her own illness and shook her head. She really **_was _**never going to drink again. Alex scoffed delicately and rubbed the back of his head. Why was this so awkward between them? Jonathan arrived next to him and clapped his hand upon his back.

"I hope you're ready to stuff your stomach till' it explodes, little nephew!" He sighed happily.

Alex smirked, "Alright, come on then, before you drool all over me."

He wrapped his arm around his uncle's neck and the two of them wandered over to the other guards. Femi watched them begin to walk away, with the guards leading the way, and bit her bottom lip softly. Her eyes were stuck on Alex. Why? She didn't know. In fact, she didn't even know that she was staring at him until he looked around and their eyes met. Her cheeks flushed and she spun away as though she had never been looking. God, what was the matter with her? She was acting like some kind of immature schoolgirl!

"Are you ready?" The Chief asked her.

Femi quickly recovered from her odd blushing and nodded in response. The Chief smiled, fairly cheekily, as though he knew something that Femi didn't... Ah, well. She shrugged it off and followed him into the entrance of the cave. The rocky floor turned into what Femi assumed was supposed to be a staircase, but it looked rather uneven. That was because it had probably been hand carved. She was amazed at it all. She had never seen anything quite so fascinating. The Chief took her down the "steps", and as they lowered further into the mountain, burning torches appeared upon the walls around the next bend to light the way. The Chief took one of them from their iron holders and handed it to Femi.

"You may need 'dis. I leave you here. Follow 'de 'sdeps down, and 'dere, your spring will be waiting." He told her.

Femi blinked nervously "What? On my own?"

The Chief chuckled and turned to walk away "You will see. Enjoy."

He began climbing back up the steps and left Femi to stand in the cold dim with her torch. She swallowed and looked all around her. It was safe, so why was she feeling so paranoid? Well, she had every right to be, especially after the journey she had been on. She had begun to learn that she could never be too careful or suspicious. But nonetheless, she couldn't just stand there for the next hour, and so, she nodded forcefully to herself and cautiously eyed the stony steps to walk down them. Femi's footsteps and delicate breaths echoed around the cool rocky passage and led her further down into the depths of the mountain. She wondered when she was going to reach the end.

And then, at last, she saw a new stone doorway roll around the corner as she turned. Her eyes feasted upon the beautiful lagoon-like scenery and her sore skin already began to melt under the warm pressure of the steam rising from the turquoise waters. There was a large pool of steaming, salted water filling up almost the entirety of the caved room, and on the far left side of it, the ceiling opened a large hole to let some light pour in. The steam danced in its rays and glided up towards the open sky to be free. Femi stood frozen and just gazed dreamily at it all.

She then noticed the 3 women standing beside the sloping steps that led into the water. They were holding fur towels and dressing robes and were sending friendly smiles over to her. Who were they?

The woman in the middle of the three stepped forwards and bowed her blonde, tanned head. She held up the mahogany robe and batted her eyelashes sweetly.

"For you, in bath." She spoke; her English was just a tad off key.

A smile of understanding slowly took control of Femi's lips, and she nodded, walking towards them. This was going to be one of the most enjoyable moments that she had experienced in at least a week. It was quite the fitting antidote for a severe hangover.

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The village was vivacious with the laughter and games of the hyper children and the preparations for that evenings feast. Women were transporting baskets of fruits and vegetables from the huts and down to the bonfire clearing before The Chief's tent, whilst the men worked on gathering the wood and building a new one. Tonight was clearly being greatly anticipated.

A middle-aged woman picked up a large straw basket and planted it upon her head with a skilled balance that most of the native women had mastered and become accustomed to. She turned and wandered down the street where the children were playing and the cattle were roaming haphazardly. Several small children ran across her path and used her as a pole to chase each other around. The woman smiled at the mischievous youngsters and quickly shooed them away with a few flutters of her hands. They scattered away from her and ran across the street and down the side of an open-planned tent, in which three very content gentlemen sat, filling their stomachs with foods of Egypt, and being fanned with large palm branches by four beautiful, exotic women.

"I could get used to this..." Jonathan sighed, bloated, but refusing to waste all of the marvellous foods around him.

"I'm there with you, old chap." Carter mused and plucked another grape from the vines.

Alex smirked at them both and took another large sip from his clay mug of water. He watched the villagers busy themselves with the preparations of tonight's celebration and found his thoughts wavering onto Femi. She really was quite an importance to this village. In fact, to Egypt. Alex never really considered it, until now, but it must have been hard for Femi to cope with those odd 'visions' all these years. But at least, here, she didn't have to feel like an outsider. Here, her visions were worshipped.

"Would you like massage, masd'er John?" One of the dark women asked.

Alex rolled his eyes at the arrogance of his uncle. 'Master John'? _Oh please_. Jonathan peered round at the girl and smiled quite dreamily.

"Anything you like, beautiful, wonderful... uh... darling." He finished.

The women all laughed in flattery at his adorable little compliments. They didn't really understand every word he was saying, but the look in his eyes did enough. Carter, however, was pouting in a subtle jealousy at how much attention Jonathan was getting in comparison to himself...

"Actually, ladies" Carter's face contorted, as though he were in pain "My neck has been rather stiff lately..."

"Awww..." The women all fussed over him.

Two of them went over to him and began carrying out the exact same treatment that they had been applying to Jonathan. Alex sat, silent, with an eyebrow arched, and a look of both amusement and discomfort in his eyes, watching his uncle and Carter being groomed and pleasured. He felt... out of place. Snorting under his breath, Alex shook his head and made to stand, and downed the last of his water from the cup he was holding. He set it down and turned to leave to find the tall, built Chief standing there.

Alex held his ground and greeted him with a nod of respect. The Chief returned it before waving his hand out, causing Alex to only just notice the company of a young man beside him. He must have been around the same age as Alex, but with tanned skin, and deep brown eyes that pierced straight through him and made him feel rather wary. He had small, black dots tattooed across each cheek in orderly lines and his clothing consisted of brown furs and leathers, which revealed his strong chest, arms and muscular legs. This man was some type of warrior or guard, as Alex perceived, from the spear held in his left hand. The young man just stood, staring at Alex, without any hint of emotion in his expression.

"'Dis is Lhukman," The Chief introduced him, "He will 'dravel wid' you on your journey 'do prodect 'de diamond heard'."

Alex nodded, "We appreciate your offer, but really Chief, we have all the help we nee right her"-

"Lhukman will make sure 'dat 'de diamond heard' is nod' used. He will widness 'de saving of our land." The Chief interrupted determinedly.

Alex had a feeling that he wasn't going to win against the Chief. He raised an awkward eyebrow at the silent 'Lhukman' and waited for him to speak, but there just didn't seem to be any indication of a desire to converse. Lhukman was the dark, mysterious type, quite obviously.

Jonathan arrived beside his uncle, curious, and rubbed his hands together. Upon seeing Lhukman and the Chief he gave a little wave, and pointed swiftly to the stranger.

"Who's this fine fellow then?" He asked Alex.

Alex smiled to himself; he could foresee the friction between his lively, brash uncle and the aloof warrior. Alex couldn't place his finger upon the reason why, but very vaguely, and in a slight puzzling manner, he felt a distinct disliking to the young chap. Perhaps it was just the egotistical aura radiating off of him? Keh.

"Uncle, meet Lhukman" Alex acquainted him "He's gonna' be coming with us to settle this diamond heart business."

"Ah!" Jonathan smiled cheesily and held his hand out to shake Lhukman's "Pleasure to meet you, old boy."

Lhukman remained stiff and stared down at Jonathan's hand with bored, unimpressed eyes. Jonathan soon realised after a short, yet thick, awkward silence that the man wasn't in favour of body contact, and so pulled his hand back and cleared his throat slightly.

"You know, Lhukman, when you're talking to someone, it's usually polite to let the person get at least _one_ word in." Jonathan laughed, joking around.

Lhukman finally showed sign of a humane attitude by simply raising a rigid, tattooed eyebrow at Jonathan. Clearly, these two were complete opposites. A twitter of feminine laughs sliced through the tense atmosphere and stole away the attention of the four men standing there. They all turned their heads, in reaction, and their eyes fell upon four well-dressed young women approaching them. It was only when they came to a stop before the men that they parted to reveal an exotically dressed, smiling... Femi.

These women around her were attracted, but Femi was by the most alluring one, out of the entire village, in face. Or so, Alex couldn't help but think. Femi was grateful for the fact that she wore a scarcely transparent, black veil across her nose, for it made it hard for any of the four gentlemen to spot the surprised smile that had spread across her lips.

Carter sat upright in his seat with his eyes nearly bulking out from their sockets "**_Femi_**??"

Femi had been dressed in clothes of a dark maroon, nearly brown, which were feminine harem trousers with little sandals upon her delicate feet. Those feet which Alex would be able to recognise anywhere. Her stomach was somewhat on display through the transparent shall which was wrapped around her middle and attached to the off-shouldered sleeves of her appealing choli.

Her thick, black hair cascaded down her back in a waterfall of graceful curls, and shorter curls sat around her blushing, half-hidden face delicately. As a result, Femi practically looked like a radiant veil dancer, which none of the gentlemen could seem to overcome.

Carter goggled at his sister, this girl who used to be playing with little dollies and dreaming of being a princess, whilst Jonathan gaped so dramatically that it would have been possible for drool to spill over his bottom lip. Alex didn't realise it, but for that moment, he was watching her with a desire in his eyes that sort of startled Femi. The way he looked at her... it made her feel... like nothing she had ever felt before. Like she was so important. So... _good_. Even Lhukman's eyes were now gleaming of something comparatively interested. The Chief, however, was just grinning proudly. This was the Guardian they had all been expecting.

"She is ready, Chief." One of the women announced.

The Chief nodded "Very good. You are free 'do go" He nodded to Femi and the others as a token of a short goodbye "I musd' leave you now. 'De feast desires much preparation."

The Chief and the women all turned to leave together; their movement seemed to disrupt the gazing session that Alex and the others had commenced in upon Femi, and they suddenly sparked back into life, and conducted awkward coughs, or looked here and there in an attempt to act normal once more. All except for Lhukman, of course, who subtly watched Femi from the corner of his dark eye.

"Blimey, Femi!" Carter exclaimed, and stood up "That can't be you!"

Femi blinked cluelessly at him "What are you talking about Carter?"

Carter walked over to her, shaking his head, amazed "Well, you're... you're... look at you!"

Femi frowned and looked down at herself. What was so wrong with her? She suddenly felt the very opposite to important and felt like burying herself in the sand. Alex noticed her discomfort and, afterwards, kicked himself for stepping up so boldly and defending her, due to the fact that it was... well, just something he didn't often do for people.

"Cut your sister some slack, Carter" He chuckled "She looks... fine."

The tone in his voice was casual and bright, but the hesitation before his adjective of how Femi looked only proved that there clearly was something that stood out to everyone, all but Femi. She didn't really understand. Yes, she knew the clothes were attractive, and she was pleased to be wearing such fine fabrics, but she hadn't a clue as to why they were all gawking at her like she had just turned her head around 180 degrees! They were just clothes! But still, Femi appreciated Alex's' support, and flashed him a quick but treasurable smile from behind her veil. He didn't quite notice it, but he recognised the change of mood in her eyes, and nodded. He knew.

Femi just then noticed the rather handsome stranger standing before Alex, and his dark, entrancing eyes made her curious side helplessly susceptible. Alex noticed the eagerness in her eyes and, clearing his throat, signalled to Lhukman with his hand as to introduce them.

"Femi, this is Lhukman. The Chief wants him, uh... to come with us to witness the saving of Egypt... or somethin' like that." He grumbled.

Femi nodded and smiled politely "It's a pleasure to meet you, Lhukman. I'm sure we will enjoy your company on our journey."

Lhukman stayed silent for a moment and just watched her which made Femi fell rather uncomfortable. Alex snickered under his breath. This guy was annoying.

"He doesn't talk much." Alex announced.

Just then, against Alex's' words, Lhukman turned to face Femi and bowed his head "I will protect you from any dangers ahead. You are the Guardian."

Femi blushed. She wished that everyone would stop with the whole 'worshipping her because she's the so-called-guardian' act. Sighing, she tapped his shoulder, and he lifted his head to look up at her. Femi then noticed just how deep and entrancing his chocolate eyes were.

"Please, Lhukman, just call me Femi. And... no more bowing, hmm?" She asked, and smiled.

Lhukman reasoned with her request inside his mind, and soon produced an unexpected, charming smile, and lifted his head fully again. Alex, unsure as to why, felt an unexplainable strain within him, somewhere, upon seeing Lhukman and Femi smiling so specifically at each other. He suddenly felt rather grouchy.

"Thank you, Femi. But I still wish to watch over you on your travels..." He told her.

Femi nodded with a little laugh, "And you can, if that is really what you wish. The more the merrier - right Alex?"

Femi looked across at Alex to involve him in the pleasant conversation. But Femi saw a dark, brooding expression in his eyes that made her regret ever looking at him. What was he feeling so bitter about? With a sarcastic scoff, Alex, rolling his eyes, picked up and apple from the table beside him and nodded carelessly.

"Yeah, sure." He mumbled, before taking a fierce bite out of it.

Femi glanced at Lhukman awkwardly to check upon his reaction; he was just watching Alex monotonously once more. Gosh, there was such a tension being formed! Jonathan and Carter's eyes darted back and forth from Alex and Lhukman as they slowly became more and more aware of the friction between them both. And, good old Jonathan, as bold and friendly as he was, thought it best to try and lighten the mood some how...

"Tell me, Lhukman" He began, and cleared his throat to grab his attention "How often do you work out exactly?"

His question left Femi, Alex and Carter rather dumbstruck. What kind of a question was _that_?? Lhukman elevated a patronizing eyebrow at Jonathan and surveyed him as though he were, practically, insane. But he couldn't be blamed - Jonathan did often act very... randomly.

Lhukman nodded respectfully to Femi "I am needed to help prepare for tonight's feast."

"Yes, yes, of course. Is there anything we can do?" Femi offered, smiling.

Lhukman held his hand up in protest "Please. Just relax."

Just before he turned to leave, his eyes locked with Femi's, and she attempted to casually pull up her face veil over her cheeks to hide the tender blush that had tinged her cheeks - but Alex was already one step ahead of her. He saw.

Femi watched Lhukman stride away and smiled to herself, "Well, he seems nice."

"Yeah, he's so articulate, what with all that muscle." Alex snickered sarcastically to himself.

Femi's smile hesitated and she raised an eyebrow "What was that for?"

"What?" Alex huffed.

"_That_. Why are you so grumpy all of a sudden? I mean, we're all used to your cocky attitude, but you're never usually open when in a bad mood." Femi snipped.

"Oh, so what, we spend a few hectic days together and suddenly you know me inside out?" Alex argued unexpectedly, "Gimme' a break."

Femi shook her head angrily, "No, I was just"-

"You were just being the arrogant little A-star snob, as usual. Right, I get it." Alex interrupted her.

He shook his head with a couple of annoyed snickers, whilst eyeing Femi up and down in annoyance. Femi stood frowning at him, not knowing what to say. _Snob_?? He had just suddenly... flipped out on her!

"Is that how you really feel?" Femi asked, trying to sound perfectly unaffected.

"Damn right." Alex boldly snorted.

Femi lifted her chin proudly and looked down upon him "Well then, you won't want to spend another minute with a 'snob' like me, will you."

She produced a huff of offence and turned on her heels to walk away with her hands clenched into tight balls. Carter and Jonathan shook their heads at each other; this was becoming a typical routine between their relatives.

"Where'd you suppose she's going?" Jonathan asked.

"Probably to flirt with her muscle-man some more." Alex chuckled.

He ran his fingers through his hair and turned around to face the two boys. But the expressions on their faces were far from encouraging. For the first time on their journey, they were actually standing up and expressing their opinions on his and Femi's behaviour. It was ridiculous.

"You two ought to sort that out, old chap." Jonathan sighed and clapped him supportively on the shoulder.

"Sort what out?" Alex grunted, watching him walk by.

Carter sighed loudly and followed Jonathan's lead "You're one to ask."

The two of them sank back down into their seats to continue receiving the relaxing massages from the pretty women who had stood patiently waiting all that time. Alex turned to face them and, folding his arms stubbornly, narrowed his eyes inquisitively.

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?" Alex snapped.

Carter chewed on a grape and swallowed it before answering, "You'll figure it out, sooner or later."

"Figure _what_ out?" Alex demanded.

"You'll see, nephew. You'll see." Jonathan replied.

Alex threw his hands up in the air "Oh, dammit, I give up with you and your wise-old-man-wannabe crap. See ya' later."

Alex whirled away from them and marched off up a random pathway, leaving them utterly unmoved, and sinking back into luxury. But after a few seconds had passed, Carter arched an eyebrow of sudden wonder, and peered over at his partner.

"Say, Jonathan" He called him "What did Alex mean by '_wise-old-man-wannabe-crap_'?"

Jonathan sighed happily and gave a petty shrug "Who knows? My nephew's got a way with confusing people..."

"Mmmm... Do you think those two will ever get on?" Carter asked, referring to his sister and Alex of course.

Jonathan smirked "Maybe. If their lives depended on it. But then again, you know what they say about opposites attracting."

"Yeah... I remember once... Mrs. Opleton in number thirteen..." Carter quivered from the unwanted memory "Never saw it coming."

Jonathan chuckled "It's not that bad. Just be glad you don't have women _fawning_ over you day and night. Now _that_ can get suffocating."

"How would you know?" Carter teased.

Jonathan smiled proudly and took up the hand of one of the women who was massaging him "I happen to be a pro."

He kissed the back of her hand and she twittered in flattery. Carter watched in a slightly bemused silence. He would never have guessed that Jonathan was such a 'lady's man' up until then.

"Well hey, you learn something new every day." He uttered under his breath to himself.

Just then, a breathless Femi came running back into the tent looking very panicked and confused. Carter sat up to greet her, but she bent over, hands on knees, and tried to catch her breath.

"Well what is it old mum?" He asked.

"Where's... Alex...?" She panted.

Jonathan laughed goofily "One second they're at each other's throats, and the next, they just can't keep away."

"Oh, uh, I dunno'. I think he went that way." Carter lazily replied and pointed off into an unsure direction.

"Why? What's all the fuss?" Jonathan pondered.

Femi gulped, still finding it hard to breathe easily, and shook her head "There's some men... in the village."

"Well, yes, Femi-doodles, that is a possibility." Carter patronised her in a tease.

Just as he and Jonathan began laughing at Femi's dunce behaviour, they were knocked back into place by the passing of a group of gallant horses which had silver bells and coins hanging from their reigns as decorations. On their backs, sat men dressed in black clothing with swords hanging from their hips, and black veils upon their heads, so to keep the sun from their faces. Jonathan's eyes narrowed with each second that passed. These men had an aura of might pouring off of them which halted anyone in their tracks whom they would have crossed.

"Blimey..." Jonathan exiled in amazement.

"What? Who are they?" Femi whispered warily, watching them all.

"It's the bloody Medjai." He gasped.


	41. Old Friends Reunited

_**Author's Note**: Goodness! Episode _40 _already?! It seems like only yesterday that I came up with the frikking plot. Ah, well, it is indeed here. I just wish to apologise for the long absence of updates. Things have been pretty busy for me over the past few weeks, and I just haven't had as much time to sit and write :( I hope you enjoy this episode - thank you for reading!_

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Time had really flown for the new guests of the village. It was midday and the sun was beaming at its brightest before it was forced to begin to lower behind the sandy horizon. Alex stood on the outskirts of the village upon a small cliff-top that overlooked the miles of rocky land that seemed to go on forever. Alex carefully lifted his hand up to his opposite shoulder and peeled back the collar of his open shirt; he growled under his breath at the sight of the strange, crusty cream that was filling his partially throbbing stab wound. He left it be and went back to staring into the distance by himself. The wind was warm, and the sky clear. He was just... thinking... living in the moment of peace, when he was so disappointingly interrupted.

"'De Chief wish 'do see you." The guard informed him.

Alex nodded with a little sigh and leant off of the rocky wall beside him to turn and follow the half-naked guard. He was led back down the sloping, miniature cliffside and re-entered the energetic village to nod and lift a polite hand of greeting to the passing villagers who were transporting all kinds of foods and other supplies for the preparations of the great feast that evening. Alex lifted his eyes to the midday sky and sighed comfortably. Everyone was beginning to relax here, but Alex couldn't shrug away the fact that their journey was far from over yet.

A small group of women strolled out from a nearby pathway and spotted Alex walking along. They giggled with each other and caught his attention by waving bashfully. Alex smirked a little.

"Iiti!" They giggled happily.

Alex lifted a casual hand "Iiti."

The women let him walk along, but still continued to glance back at him, as though hoping that he would turn back and communicate with them some more. Alex wasn't really interested in that way, even though he appreciated the friendliness of everyone. It seemed that he and the other 3 had become quite the popular ones over the past few hours. Gossip spread fast anywhere.

After being taken around a few more stone huts, and under two or three wooden archways which had been built in the village simply for decoration, Alex soon noticed that familiar set of stone steps approaching ahead. He was being taken to the Chief's hut, after all.

Just as Alex's guide came to the top step, he and Alex were joined with the company of a few shadows beside them. Alex looked, curious, and recognised the faces of his companions right away. Except, upon seeing Femi there, he retreated stubbornly with one of his cocky, subtle smirks. Femi scowled at his arrogance and rolled her eyes.

"Called for you guys as well, huh?" Alex sighed, and walked down the steps with Femi.

Femi kept her eyes straight ahead "No. We just thought it an amusing idea to turn up at his tent, uncalled for, and unwanted, Mr. O'Connell."

"Heh" Alex chuckled, and pointed at her, jogging his hand up and down "You know, those witty comments of yours get more and more aggrivatin' every time I hear 'em."

Femi smirked "I feel the same about your arrogance."

The two of them were forced to part temporarily when they came to the large bonfire that was under construction in the very center of their paths. Femi wandered to the left whilst Alex manoeuvred to the right, but coincidentally, the two of them kept glancing sideways at each other through the gaps in the large branches, and underneath the working arms of the builders. Why? They weren't exactly sure. They scolded themselves for it with each time that their eyes connected, but... strangely enough, they kept going back for more.

Carter and Jonathan were twittering behind them about the women they had been spending most of their time with, and the foods that they had witnessed. In fact, they were so excited in their conversations, that they were completely oblivious to the builders around them, and so suddenly had to duck to the ground to escape the force of a wooden post that turned with the shoulder of its carrier. They remained crouched upon the floor, blinking owlishly, until their escort brought them back into reality by laughing at them as he passed.

"I say" Carter breathed out "These boys should watch where they're going."

Jonathan nodded in agreement and stood up with Carter. The two of them brushed themselves down and puffed their chests out proudly. The workmen were still completely unaware of their presences.

"Very well, lads" Jonathan cleared his throat "Carry on then."

The two gentleman awkwardly nodded to the builders - who ignored them completely, as they were very busy working - and then casually slipped out of the area and rushed onwards to catch up with Alex and Femi, who were... well, feeling slightly embarrassed after their previous experience in continuously glancing at each other, and could sense only more tension in between them, since their last argument.

And Alex, being as typical as he was, replaced his embarrassment with some more attitude that he knew would pester Femi. It did.

"You just can't keep your eyes off me, can you, lady?" Alex teased.

Femi produced a slight grimace at his childish comment, but refused to retaliate. He really was just a waste of her energy. She shook her head shamefully and went back to walking quietly in her own thoughts, although, she soon realised that they were only a few steps away from reaching the Chief's tent, where two guards stood forceful and stiff either side of the curtained doorway.

One of the escorts pulled aside the curtain and stood clear of the entrance so that they could enter. Alex waved his hand out to Femi, in a gracious manner that was over-exaggerated, simply to toy with her, and Femi stormed past him, giving a little huff of intolerance. Alex chuckled. He knew how to play her better than any instrument. Wait -- Alex didn't play an instrument. Ah, still, he knew where Femi's sensitivity lay.

Femi had entered the tent feeling very impatient and angered -- but upon seeing the three new guests standing around the Chief's miniature fire, all of those burdensome emotions disappeared, and she stood still, slightly intimidated. At first, it was because she had associated them with Meela's men, due to the black clothing that they were wearing. But when she took a second look, she realised that they were members of those 'Medjai', or so Jonathan had titled them as, that had entered the village not three hours ago.

Alex, Jonathan and Carter arrived behind Femi and spotted the 3 Medjai standing there. Alex's eyes narrowed curiously, whilst Jonathan and Carter just stared, feeling slightly uncomfortable. The Chief heaved an announcing sigh and slowly pushed himself up to meet his original height. Once there, he wandered around the side of his fire, and clapped a friendly hand upon the shoulder of the nearest Medjai to him.

"'Dese are friends of my 'dribe," The Chief began to explain, smiling "We 'ave been allies for many cenduries, as our ancesdors, and their ancesdors were. 'Dey are"-

"The Medjai." Alex interrupted, slightly bemused.

One of the tallest out of the 3 Medjai shifted his black-booted feet upon the ground and squinted his dark eyes at Alex through the black bandana that hid away the rest of his tanned face. Femi brought her hands together nervously and anticipated the next step of communication. The Medjai then cast his speculating eyes over the faces of the other three. When Femi's eyes met with his, she felt a strong presence of mystery about him. Perhaps it was just the mask?

"You..." The Medjai uttered, when his eyes found Jonathan "I know you."

Everyone looked to Jonathan and he tensed up a little. He produced a charming little chuckle and waved his hand dismissively.

"Well, you know, I'm here and there, really..."

"No" The Medjai opposed, and stepped out towards the four of them "You were wid' 'de O'Connell..."

"You knew my dad?" Alex spoke out.

The Medjai's eyes snapped onto Alex, and trailed down his appearance, and then back up, as to survey him. Yes. This must have been the young boy he had seen so many years ago. The Medjai brought his very masculine hand up to his face and pulled down the black cloth to reveal his face. Femi witnessed Alex's expression transform from strained and curious, to large, and shocked.

"Ar... Ardeth... right?" Alex questioned uncertainly.

Femi looked back to the Medjai who was apparently called 'Ardeth' -- woah! He was awfully more handsome than she had expected him to be. His nose was long, and his jaw line was slanted and prominent, like his fine lips. The dark moustache and beard that ran around them suited him very well. And Femi wasn't a big fan of facial hair.

"You have grown since our last meeting, Alex," Ardeth replied, "I had not expected to find you here again."

"Well, neither did I." Alex softly snickered.

The Chief looked back and forth from Alex and Ardeth "You know each oder?"

Ardeth smiled faintly and nodded "His fad'er and I... we had... business toged'er."

Carter leant into Femi to mutter in her ear "Is it just me, or are you starting to feel a little lost here, too?"

Carter's movement attracted the attention of Ardeth in that direction, and he seemed to suddenly acknowledge Femi's presence a lot more the second time that he saw her. Femi averted her gaze shyly and adjusted the fairly transparent veil that, fortunately, stood as a shield to hide her petty blush.

"And you... You must be the 'de Guardian." Ardeth stated.

"Oh - uh - yes, but... I would much prefer Femi. Just Femi. No need for all these formalities." She twittered nervously.

"Femi," Ardeth repeated pensively, "It means 'love' in ancient Egyptian; I am not mistaken?"

Femi was about to politely agree when the snippy and very aware Alex jumped in to break off the atmosphere that he wasn't enjoying the show of. He cleared his throat loudly and held his hand out towards Ardeth, to gesture towards him.

"You know about the Diamond Heart as well then?" Alex asked.

Ardeth quickly looked at him, and nodded. Femi sighed under her breath and twiddled her fingers; she was feeling awfully fidgety after that strange comment of Ardeth's. And not to mention the fact that he was drop-dead gorgeous.

"I am a Medjai, Alex. We are 'dose who protect every prophecy in Egypt." Ardeth reminded Alex.

"Yeah; that's why somethin' tells me it ain't a coincidence that we're all here in the Chief's tent at the same time." Alex muttered, and looked to the Chief.

"It is true." Ardeth announced.

The Chief nodded to Ardeth and lifted his hand as a signal of approval for him to continue. Ardeth nodded appreciatively and stepped away from the fire to explain the rest.

"We have seen 'dem, travelling across 'de desert. 'Dey are both foolish and strong as to move with no means of transport or protection. 'De desert has been kind to 'dem so far." Ardeth announced.

"They? Who's they?" Jonathan asked.

Ardeth nodded solemnly, "Meela."

Femi gasped, "They're here already? Are they travelling in our direction??"

"'Dey are heading west. At least twenty of 'dem. 'Dey are clearly no match for 'de four of you alone." Ardeth hinted.

"Well we've got that muscly... what's his name..."- Jonathan trailed off.

-"Lukhman." Femi corrected him.

"Trust her to know." Alex snickered rudely.

Femi's eyes narrowed bitterly at him "Excuse me?"

Alex rolled his eyes and cursed tiresomely to himself, as though he didn't deserve her scolding in the slightest. As the two of them commenced in shooting disrespectful expressions at each other, Carter stepped forwards with an eager look in his eyes.

"Did you see anyone else with them?" He asked Ardeth.

Carter's important question suddenly hooked Femi's deep interest. Her eyebrows knitted together hopefully at the thought of her beloved father. And Ardeth nodded.

"Dere were od'ers." He informed them calmly.

Femi grabbed Carter's arm desperately, "It's them; it's father! I know it is! We've got to get them back!"

"Woah, woah, slow your horse, lady," Alex sighed, holding his hands out, "We can't go barging out there with nothin' to defend ourselves with. You heard Ardeth; there's too many for us."

Femi shook her head in strong disagreement, "I don't care. I'll do whatever it takes to get them back from that woman. Goodness knows what she's put them through already."

"Look, I understand your worry, but we can't do anythin' until we've got a plan," Alex tried to calm her, "They're my parents out there too, ya' know."

"He's right, Femi," Ardeth commented, "It would not be wise to attempt a rescue wid'out a strategy."

Femi sighed mournfully and rubbed her forehead, frowning. Alex and the others could clearly tell that she was the most distressed out of them all. Carter slipped an arm around her shoulder and allowed Femi to rest the side of her head upon his chest for comfort. Their dear father... all they wanted was to have him back by their side.

"We came to warn 'de chief," Ardeth continued, "As you well remember, Alex, I have my fair share of history wid' 'dat woman as well."

Alex tore his concerned (but imperceptive) eyes away from Femi, who was trying to, for once, hold back her tears and not be such a 'damsel', as she had called herself back on the beach that night. Alex gathered up Ardeth's last statement and, once he understood it, nodded.

"Yeah, I remember." Alex replied.

"I told Arded' of 'de woman and her plans with 'de Diamond Heard', which 'de Guardian is protecting, righd' here in my village," The Chief took his turn in explaining, "And Arded' asked 'do see you all."

Femi lifted her head from her brother's offered shoulder and looked over at the Chief and Ardeth. Ardeth's eyes met hers, but she didn't blush, or avoid them bashfully. The fact that he had called for them sounded... promising.

"You cannot do 'dis alone," Ardeth stated, trailing his eyes over all of them very wisely, "Meela has tried to disturb 'de peace of Egypt's sleeping children for 'de last time. 'De Medjai are on your side."

Jonathan raised his eyebrows with impress, "... I don't think Lhukhman'll be needing all his weapons."

"You mean... you'll help us?" Femi gasped.

Ardeth distantly composed an honoured, agreeable little smile, and nodded, "Yes."

A small eruption of relief and joy sizzled within Femi's stomach. It would be so much easier to save her father and Mr. and Mrs. O'Connell now with the help of the Medjai's. It seemed that things were finally starting to pick up for the four of them on their difficult journey to save the world.

"Thank you." Femi beamed.

"You are 'de guardian. We should be 'de ones 'danking you, for keeping 'de item safe for so long." Ardeth kindly flattered her.

Femi blushed again, and shook her head, glancing at the others beside her, "Well, it wasn't all me, really..."

"Yes," Ardeth agreed politely; Femi was clearly a generous person, "All of you. You have brought 'de diamond heart 'dis far."

"And it wasn't bloody easy." Jonathan chuckled to himself.

"Dat is most generous of you, Arded'," The Chief laughed and walked over him to take his hand and clench it supportively, "I shall tell Lukhman of 'de support in his task-- uh... when I find him."

The Chief scouted around the tent with a confused wonder written across his brow. He patted Ardeth's hand with his other before letting it go, and hobbling across the room to the doorway. Femi brought her attention back onto Ardeth and nodded appreciatively.

"This means a lot to us, Ardeth. Thank you. Now we've got some faith." Femi sighed.

"But tonight, may you all rest, and enjoy 'de mirth whilst it is here," Ardeth blessed them, "I know I shall."

Even Alex couldn't sustain an amused little smirk at his comment.

"I am sorry to hear about your parents, Alex," Ardeth cleared a coarse bubble from his throat, "It is not like 'dem to be captured. We shall get 'dem back, I promise you 'dat."

Alex nodded, "Damn right we will. And Meela won't go unpunished."

"Here, here!" Jonathan and Carter joined in.

"Blimey, I'm feeling rather exhilarated." Jonathan stupidly sighed.

Femi gave a little laugh and wiped the corner of her eye, as it had threatened to pour her tears not a few minutes ago. Her eyes found Alex's' and he sent her a reassuring wink. Femi revealed a fragile smile, warm, and understanding. It seemed that they had simply pushed away and forgotten the childish friction that had formed in between them not so long ago.

"'De nearest place from here is Bahij... but 'dat is a dangerously long walk under 'de sun. I doubt Meela would feel a sudden desire to set out on a peaceful walk in such a place as 'dis." Ardeth humorously promoted.

"Nah," Alex sneered, "She's headed somewhere. N' it ain't Bahij..."

"Where, then?" Femi sighed hopelessly, yet utterly curious, and almost intrigued.

""Dat is what we are trying to find out." Ardeth sighed speculatively.

"How?" Jonathan piped up.

"Some of my men are tracking 'dem. Keeping a close watch," Ardeth announced systematically, "'Dey will report back here when 'dey have discovered 'anyding substantial."

"You seem to have everything figured out already." Alex mumbled, smirking.

"As usual." Jonathan added.

Ardeth nodded, oblivious to Jonathan's (flattering?) comment, "As soon as I spotted 'dem, my instincts told me it was best to send someone after her. Just to make sure... 'dat woman brings 'noding but trouble to Egypt."

"I wonder what her intentions could be..." Femi pondered aloud whilst staring at the floor intensely.

"I agree. I, too, am curious as to why Meela would be heading in 'dat direction. As I said before, Bahij is certainly too far to travel to by foot." Ardeth agreed.

"I don't like this." Alex fizzed under his breath.

Everyone looked to him expectantly. All of a sudden, he was the "leader" again, as if before Ardeth had come into the picture.

"This lady's not stupid." Alex informed them all.

"My men will handle the situation for now, young O'Connell. It is best not to worry yourselves." Ardeth advised.

Femi sighed tenderly at her hands and couldn't sustain her frowning. How was she, or any of the others for that matter, supposed to keep from worrying? Their parents were out there...

"Look," Cater sighed, "We've got the Diamond Heart, and Meela hasn't. That's all that matters right now. She can't do anything. Yeah, our parents are out there, but hey, they're our parents. Nothing's going to happen to them."

Femi tilted her head and gazed up at her brother. Carter couldn't help but feel like a hero when he saw the expression swimming in his little sister's eyes. She was proud of him. The fracture of a smile upon her lips suggested that she trusted the entire world on his shoulders at that moment.

"Well said, old chap." Jonathan thanked Carter in his own stiff way.

Femi slipped her arm around her brother's back and nodded vaguely, improving her smile. Carter was gleaming inside. He proudly lifted his gaze and looked out at the others. Alex sent him a respectful nod. Perhaps Carter O'Connell wasn't just a head of golden hair and a mouthful of tactless wit, after all.

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A black, shimmering scorpion scuttled across the sandy earth in an intention of seeking hideout at the next small rock to await its next victim. But, alas, before it could even get half way, a merciless, foot wrapped up in a protective sandal crunched down upon the venomous insect. The sand was no longer dry.

Lhukman's eyes squinted and scouted the area. He was wandering along a pathway in the rocky mountains that were sloping downwards and heading to nowhere significant. He had sweat beads rolling down his temples from his hair line and wore a hat made from bone and strong string that kept the fervent sun from his face. Out of breath, a spear in hand, and a leather pouch of water slinging from his waist. He had clearly been traveling for some time now.

Lhukman wiped his damp brow with the back of his free arm and looked around thoughtfully. Taking in his bottom lip with his teeth, he produced a long, alarming whistle into the boiling nothingness around him.

Surprisingly, after a minute of the desert's mundane silence, someone responded...

Out from behind a large rocky boulder stepped a tall, tanned man who held a black gun in his right hand. He had a black cloth wrapped around his head, but wore no shirt with his trousers and sandals. He came towards Lhukman, and Lhukman held his ground, unaffected. The two men came face to face and didn't even blink, despite the sweat drops falling from their eyebrows and onto their eyelashes.

"What took you so long?" The man asked Lhukman.

"I was busy." He bluntly answered.  
The man narrowed his eyes dangerously

"... Do 'dey have it, still?"

Lhukman paused. He gave no words, but performed a solemn, subtle nod. All questions were answered within that single movement. The unnamed man nodded back.

"Very good. Meela wishes to dank you for your assistance." He informed him, and gradually showed a smile - a taunting, malicious smile.

Lhukman clenched his fist by his side in his struggle to remain composed. Everything was relying upon this single moment. Meela's henchman nodded lowly, still smiling provokingly, and turned away on his heels. But before he disappeared again, he turned to send Lhukman a look over his shoulder.

"Oh, and one more 'ding," He said, "You are to lead 'dem to 'de ruins of Akhar. Be 'der at sunset tomorrow, or... well, I do not 'dink 'der is any need to remind ourselves of 'de consequences, Lhukman."

Lhukman was, by now, gritting his teeth.

"Be 'dere." Meela's man snarled.

With that, he turned, and continued walking. Lhukman was tempted in every fiber of his living body to charge and slaughter the man who had turned his back on him. But he knew... he knew he just couldn't. Or else.


	42. Night of Celebration Pt 1

Femi released a flattered little twitter as the women around her picked at her hair and tried to pin in a golden headband that dangled across her forehead, with small beads of different earth tones. She now wore a long, black robe-like-dress with sandals, and a veil across her face still. The sun had completely set not just an hour ago, and Femi could hear the strong, excited voices of the villagers from inside the hut that she had been preparing in. She wasn't quite sure what to expect from tonight, or what it would contain, but already she could feel a warm excitement swelling within her.

"And... finish." One of the women announced.

The four of them stepped back to give Femi some air. She arose from her stool and looked down upon herself. The sleeves of her dress revealed the corner of her shoulders, and contained a slit by her wrists, just before the rim of the material curled around her middle fingers to hold them in place. It was soft, but flowing, giving Femi lot of freedom.

"Thank you. It's lovely." Femi chuckled happily.

She wasn't quite sure why she had to change from the outfit she had been wearing all day, but obviously it was necessary, according to the village women. But hey, Femi wasn't complaining - would you be?

"Come, come!" The women all giggled and whispered fervently.

They took Femi's hands, which were now decorated with elegant patterns that the women had painted upon the back of them, and led her over to the exit doorway. As soon as Femi stepped outside, people cheered, and laughed, and clapped... it was just one, big celebration. A reason for merriment and freedom. Femi was led through the pathways in the village by the women and received plenty of waves and foreign greetings, which she was quick to return, of course. It soon became clear where Femi was going; she could see the light of flickering flames dancing up the stairway towards her. She was being taken to the bonfire area.

Femi felt her stomach intensify with excitement. This was all so different from what she was used to back in London. Well, actually, Femi never really got out much, but when she did, it was always to attend gatherings in marble lobbies with champagne in crystal glasses. You can just imagine the rest. But now, gathering around a grand fire beneath the starlit sky was in great contrast to Femi's mundane experiences...

A small number of the village men were happily playing upon their instruments; drums, ouds, tambourines and lyres. The melody was exotic and low-pitched, and yet it beckoned a strong sense of liveliness from the people who were already gathered around the fire. Bowls and plates were set out upon the ground containing many kinds of foods, from fruits, to meat, to cheese, to odd insects that made Jonathan and Carter turn green just at sighting them.

As they sat themselves down upon a coloured mat with Alex, they resorted straight to the fresh meats to recover. Alex, however, simply sat there comfortably with a handful of grapes. He tore his entertained eyes away from the thick fire and the musicians, and just as he was about to pop his last grape into his mouth, he subconsciously paused. Right then and there. He wasn't sure why, exactly, but the cause of it was definitely the beautiful girl that stood at the top of the stone steps.

Femi.

She looked like some kind of princess, particularly with all those women fussing around her. But Femi wasn't encouraging them. Alex, keeping his eyes on her the entire time that it took her to walk down the steps, saw her smile graciously at the women as to request for them to simply relax. Femi's eyes were drawn to the ravenous bonfire in the center of the court and, for some strange, unwelcome reason, Alex found himself waiting for Femi to look his way. What the hell? Alex cleared his throat and looked away to pop that last grape into his mouth nonchalantly. But he was far from it.

Femi had finally finished appreciating the intimate fire and the beautiful people all around it, either eating, serving, chatting or playing instruments, she sighed dreamily and relaxed. Her eyes coincidentally fell upon the handsome man who had secretly been admiring her not a few seconds ago. Femi smiled lightly upon spotting Alex sitting there, looking as charming as ever, and the fire's light flickering over his tanned face. Wait, what was Femi doing?? She blinked rapidly and quickly changed the perspective by reminding herself of the many times that he was so rude and childish towards her. Yes. That was better. But, even then, Femi couldn't deny how _gorgeous_ he was.

Femi was guided towards Alex by the women surrounding her, and as she approached, Jonathan was the next person to sight her. His jaw hung, and a bit of meat tumbled out onto the floor. He nudged Carter and signalled to Femi with a nod of his head. Carter immediately frowned.

"I give up... my baby sister..." He sighed.

"Personally, I think it's better this way, old chap." Jonathan chanted, mystified.

Carter shot Jonathan a wary narrow of his eyes, and Jonathan quickly returned to eating and watching the fire. Although, Jonathan wasn't the only man around the fire who was watching Femi secretly. Femi had just arrived in the presence of her 3 companions when Luhkman stepped out of the shadows. Alex's eyes travelled up Femi's legs, landing upon her hips for just a moment, and then continued on upwards to her ahem face, through the mysterious veil that she wore. Femi blushed. But the greeting that she received was nowhere near as charming as she had hoped.

"What took you so long?" Alex snickered rudely, "I had no idea it took you women so long to groom yourselves."

Jonathan and Carter rolled their eyes at each other. When was Alex ever going to get it right? Every time Fem and Alex were put together, the risk of an argument hung in the air. And nearly 90 of each one actually turned into a dispute. It was tiresome. Femi parted her defensive lips to bark back at Alex when, to Femi's surprise, Lhukman arrived beside her and stole away her attention.

Their eyes met. Femi froze. Alex sneered and looked away. And all the time, the music played, the fire burnt, and Lhukman held a half-smile filled with exotic charm. Jonathan and Carter snickered to each other.

"Naf'rah, Femi." Lhukman greeted her, and nodded.

Femi smiled, "Naf'rah."

"'De women of our village looked after you, I can see." Lhukman commented.

Everyone knew exactly what he meant by this. Alex accidentally squished a peach under his hand at spotting Lhukman's eyes roam over Femi's body. Why was he so affected by it? Probably because he didn't trust Lhukman. Yeah, that was it. Lhukman oozed with secrecy, and Alex hated things being kept from him. Femi, on the other hand, took his implied compliment with a flattered smile and by batting her eyelashes and stroking the robe that she wore.

"Yes, they were very kind to me." She agreed.

Alex looked away at the fire. So, Femi was playing innocent now, was she? Pretending that she couldn't recognise a compliment when she heard one? Typical. But really, from Carter and Jonathan's point of view, Alex's anger had formed not from disfavour of their behaviour, but because he so strongly wished that Femi would "play innocent" with _him_, and not Lhukman. But never, even in his dreams, would Alex believe or accept such a theory.

"Drink?" Lhukman asked her, whilst holding his hand out to gesture to where he had once been sitting.

Femi parted her lips to reply. Her eyes shot down towards Alex before she made her decision. Alex merely snickered to himself, for the umpteenth time. Well, fine - Femi knew if she wasn't wanted. Femi wasn't about to let Alex bring down her night. And so, smiling, Femi nodded to Lhukman and allowed him to take up her arm in his own.

"Thank you." She projected loudly, as to rub it in Alex's brooding face.

Alex sulked away to himself as he darkly watched Lhukman lead Femi to the other side of the fire where he had been sitting. That woman was going to have quite a shock when he turned out to be some kind of betrayer. Alex felt a little tactless for jumping to conclusions so quickly, but it was either that or, admit that he really _was_ jealous. And that was totally out of the question. Alex, jealous? Of Femi? No way! Pah, this was the girl who only had 1 shoe on when they first met.

Jonathan chewed on a leg of chicken whilst craning his neck to spy on Femi and Lhukman, "Carter, I think muscle-man's got a thing for your baby sister."

As Carter reacted with a number of disapproving curses and threats, Alex found himself just gazing at the floor in thought. He didn't like this feeling. He had never really felt it before.

Femi sat down upon the log and took up the clay cup from Lhukman that he had filled with water for her. Femi sipped it and then after smiled sweetly at Lhukman over the rim of it. By now, more and more people were arriving around the bonfire, and even little children were starting to run around and dance to the beat of the drums.

"Do you like our village?" Lhukman asked.

Femi nodded vigorously, "Oh, yes, very much so. It's just beautiful. It must be wonderful living here with such peace..."

"It is not always as peaceful as you may 'dink..." Lhukman muttered and cast a seemingly guilty look at the fire.

Femi hadn't noticed this, however, and instead tilted her head to the side curiously. She examined Lhukman in the light of the large fire if not for just a second. Why had his mood changed so suddenly? But without warning, the moment was interrupted, as a small group of children suddenly leapt onto Lhukman from behind and tackled him to the ground. Femi couldn't deny that she had, in fact, actually jumped in fright at first. The children all screamed with laughter as they rumbled about with Lhukman, and Lhukman seemed to be enjoying every moment of it as well. Femi giggled at the touching sight.

"She seems to be enjoying herself, though." Jonathan reported thoughtfully, back on the other side of the fire.

"Will you cut it out, unc?!" Alex barked impatiently, "It's not like we're interested in what she's doing every five minutes, god dammit!"

Alex's sudden outburst came as quite a surprise to his uncle, and Carter. Carter was fuming over Lhukman's obvious interest in his sister, but even _he_ wasn't switching on his fellow companions so easily. There was evidently more to the matter than met the eye.

"... Are you sure about that?" Carter asked in a serious tone.

Alex looked to Carter. His expression was, strangely, just as serious as his voice had sounded. What was this? Did Carter actually think that Alex was interested?? The answer hung in the air. But why wasn't Alex answering? He knew the answer: yes, he was of course sure. So... why couldn't he say it, then?

The three men slowly noticed that the music and chattering around them was decreasing in volume. But Cater and Alex held each other's gaze. It was like a challenge. Who would look away first?

"Oi, look." Jonathan whispered.

Alex and Carter hesitated for a moment, but both ended up breaking the competition at the same time. They peered over Jonathan's dark silhouette and saw the Chief standing in the doorway of his tent, with two guards holding the curtains back for him. He wore a furred hat upon his head which trailed down his spine, and upon his body, he wore fur around his waist and feet, and leather pads on his bare arms and shoulders for protection. His muscles shimmered in the glowing fire; he appeared to be a completely different man, now. Like some sort of new Hercules. Lhukman politely returned to his seat and hushed the children; they sat beside him and Femi and watched quietly. Everyone was still. Femi glanced around unsurely and waited for the next move. What was going on?

The Chief's eyes were locked ambitiously upon the marvellous fire that danced up to the sky. He strode towards it very slowly and graciously. Alex narrowed his eyes with interest. The atmosphere was thick and pressing down upon everyone's shoulders. The Chief stopped before the fire and held his hands up to it with his fingers closing any gaps between them. His eyes closed, and he inhaled a long, sensuous breath through his nostrils.

"Aya'kha nefri soa eyeh'que." He called out.

His voice danced around the campfire in an echo. Femi watched him intensely. He was speaking in the native tongue of his tribe again; one that Femi, nor Alex or the other 2 could understand. Up until now, they had kindly been speaking in the original Egyptian language. But that was what allured Femi all the more. She was dying to know what the Chief was saying.

An old man who had been standing nearby to the Chief's tent hobbled over to his side, using his crooked walking stick for support. The old man reached into the chest area of his fur jacket and began mumbling inconclusive words to himself. The Chief held his position with his eyes closed, waiting, as the old man brought out pinches of a certain dust or herb and sprinkled it into the fire. Each time that he did so, the flames would cough and. Femi sat upright, as did Alex. The fire... it was turning blue.

"Nannateh suah'ah augh kenn," The Chief shouted, and suddenly snapped his impassioned eyes open, "Leglenah!"

The entire fire exploded into a creation twice its size that even made some of the other villagers sitting nearby yelp out in alarm. Cleary they should have been used to the process by now? Jonathan and Carter had both fallen backwards in their state of jolting shock, whilst Alex merely narrowed his eyes to protect them from the blinding _blue_ light. Femi gaped at the sight. Now she understood what the Chief had meant earlier when talking about "the blue fire". Duh.

"Tell us whad' the fire says, Seer." The Chief addressed the old man in English to aid Femi and her friends in understanding.

The old man began to wander around the fire whilst squinting his left eye at the flames. When he moved out of Femi's range of sight, she accidentally looked onwards and found Alex. Their eyes engaged in a tense stare for a moment, until Femi shifted stubbornly, and looked away dominantly. Alex rolled his eyes.

"'De red snow," The old man chanted mysteriously, "When 'de red snow falls, 'dere will be a new awakenings..."

Carter and Jonathan, now sitting themselves up again, rubbed the backs of their head and glanced cluelessly at each other. This old prune was making no sense whatsoever.

"'De fire speaks of many elements... warmd'," At this very word, Alex and Femi coincidentally both glanced straight at each other; they stiffened, and acted as though it had never happened, "Darkness," Lhukman stirred silently in the hush of his guilt, "Danger... and pain."

"What a way to liven the party." Jonathan snickered under his breath.

"'De blue fire speaks of a hidden key... a"- The old man cut himself off with a shake of his head, "I cannot see... only 'dat, is revealed to me on 'dis night."

With that, the old man released an exhausted sigh and lowered his head. A number of men and women rushed to his side and supported him before he could fall down in his weakness. Femi watched them guide him to a seat in concern.

"Do not worry; he will recover soon." Lhukman reassured her.

Femi looked to Lhukman for more information, "Can he... really predict the future?"

"With 'de help of 'de blue fire. Yes." Lhukman nodded.

Jonathan scoffed with Carter and shook his head, "Take this to the stage and they could make a fortune."

"I hear you, buddy." Carter chortled quietly.

Alex shook his head at their disrespectful behaviour. Fair enough if they didn't believe in seeing into the future, but these people clearly did. And Alex, daring to admit it, actually felt quite convinced. What the old man had said would linger in the back of his mind from now on.

"Bring me the wine!" The old man shouted out, and laughter erupted around the bonfire, which had now returned to its original colour.

"Lhukman, where are the Medjai?" Femi curiously asked, after having scanned the area.

"'Dey are scattered around the village, looking out for any... surprise arrivals." He replied.

Femi knew what he meant. He was talking about Meela. The Chief beamed proudly and stepped back to signal towards Femi (on his left), and Alex and the other 2 (on his right) with his hands. Just at this signal, a group of men and women arose from their seats with small bowls in their hands.

"May we welcome our new guests into 'de hearts of ourselves and our ancestors. Let 'dem be one wid' our spirits." The Chief announced brightly.

All of a sudden, cheers and applause filled the air from every villager. Even the children leapt into the air and howled excitedly. Femi noticed Lhukman smiling at her in a tender amusement whilst clapping his hands. Femi quirked an unsure eyebrow up. What was happening now?

Femi's question was answered when she was confronted by a group of giggling, grinning women and brought up onto her feet by her hands. Femi stuttered out random consonants in her attempt to pronounce a full question, but to her dismay, the women were pulling and pushing and picking at her as though she was their doll to play with. Lhukman laughed from his seat with the children. Femi sent him a hopeful look, for him to rescue her, but he just sat there with his arms folded. Femi was going to have to work her way out of this one by herself.


	43. Night of Celebration Pt 2

On the other side of the bonfire, Jonathan and Carter were finding it difficult to approve of men doing the same thing. They were dipping their finger tips into maroon-coloured paint and trying to wipe it on their faces.

"I say, boys, what the bloody hell is going on?!" Jonathan scoffed nervously.

"Come," One of the men laughed, "We accept you!"

He held up his paint-covered finger tip and nodded convincingly. Jonathan and Carter shot each other unsure glances; should they allow it? And then, at that moment, they realised that Alex wasn't struggling in the slightest. Instead, he was standing quite still, nearly smiling, and allowing the men to draw simple patterns upon his face, neck, hands and arms with the paint. Jonathan and Carter looked back to the men before them and twisted their lips to the side in thought.

"Ah, bugger it." Carter sighed in defeat.

The men cheered and started to draw upon their skin very artistically. Femi, on the other side of the fire, was now laughing and spinning with the guidance of the hands that were roaming over the bare parts of her body. She had swerving lines in black upon her cheekbones (which were drawn after she had pulled down the veil that hung before the lower half of her face) and tiny dots across her nose. Her neck possessed unusual curves and circles that joined unusually, and her stomach had strange figures drawn upon it.

"Let us dance to the stars where our brothers and sisters shine for us!" The Chief laughed and clapped his hands.

More cheers and howls of agreement pelted into the air. The drums slowly began to beat in a steady rhythm. Femi, now decorated very suitably, was led against her own will towards the large, cleared area behind the fire, despite her polite objections.

"Oh, no, really," She chuckled, "I'm not much of a dancer. Really, I should just... sit and watch..."

Nonetheless, she was positioned behind another person with her hands upon their shoulders. Femi sighed, defeated, and allowed one of the women to stand behind her and, in the same manner, place their hands on her shoulders. The line continued ran all the way around the blazing fire until the leader's shoulders were attached to the person's hands at the very end. Everyone seemed to be ready.

"Don't say I didn't warn you." Jonathan laughed with embarrassment as the wavering melody tuned in with the drums.

Alex sighed to himself and shook his head, amused. Boy, this was going to be interesting. The last time he had danced in the manners of a tribe was four years ago. And he didn't impress anyone, let's just say that. And then, the line started moving, and rotating around the fire. Femi followed along in a clueless, simple walk until the woman in front kindly instructed her to kick out her leg on each step. One of the musicians at the side started to sing out in their tribe's language; Femi nor Alex could understand, but it sounded lovely.

"_Lye'o lye'ola_." Everyone sang in unison after the man had sang his sentence.

The man sang again, and just like before, everyone replied with those two words. It didn't take very long for Femi to catch on and understand that she, too, was required to sing with them. Alex mumbled the words under his breath, and Carter and Jonathan just tried to concentrate on not falling over.

"_Lye'o lye'ola_!" Everyone sang.

Femi let out a sudden laugh. She was beginning to loosen up a little. The encouraging smiles from the women before and behind her helped a lot. Alex managed to catch a glimpse of Femi's figure through a thinner outer finger of the flames; she seemed to be enjoying herself a little more than last time he had seen her simply standing there and shaking her head. Alex smirked to himself.

"Iiti atta soe'ahra!" The man sang brightly.

"_Lye'o lye'ola_!" Femi laughed with everyone else.

The circle of people rotated around the fire at least four times more. Legs kicking out, laughter exploding, the Chief clapping along from his stool next to the foods, and the children running around them and poking them as they went.

"Oi!" Jonathan grumbled, "I'm dancing here! Just g- _Lye'o lye'ola_!"

Suddenly, the drums changed beat, and now picked up some more speed. Everyone cheered and broke away from each other's shoulders to move to their next positions. Alex looked around, expressionless, and waited to see what they were doing before following.

"What's happening?" Femi gasped over the cheers.

"Come, come! Ikimaki!" A young woman giggled excitedly.

She took Femi by the hands and rushed over to join the large group of people. Femi was squeezed through their presences, tripping, laughing and blowing her hair out of her eyes, and was suddenly whirled around to a stop. This was her position? In front of _him_?? Alex flashed Femi a cocky smirk as he stood before her. Femi rolled her eyes. What a way to spoil the mood.

"**Itimaki**!" Someone yelled.

Femi and Alex observed their companions to perceive what they were supposed to be doing. Everyone was joining their hands to the person opposite them and beginning to bop them up and down, like waves. Alex and Femi looked back to each other hesitantly.

"Um..." Femi muttered.

The people either side of Femi and Alex were quick to help them and lock their hands together for them. But instead of following right away and bopping their hands in the air, Femi and Alex just stared at each other and their joined hands. Femi's were so _warm_. And Alex's were so _strong_. It caught them off guard.

Ecstatic cheers swept them back into the moment and they managed to look away from each other. Someone suddenly came running down the pathway beneath everyone's hands; the objective of this game was to avoid being hit on the back by any of them. When they reached the end of the tunnel, they joined onto the end to reproduce the line, and await their partner.

"Itimaki!" People shouted, laughing and skipping on the spot to the beat.

After so many couples had run through the tunnel, it was finally Femi and Alex's turn. They looked at each other, hesitant, and tried to decide on who would run first with the expressions in their eyes.

"You go!" Femi laughed, and releasing his hands, pushed him sideways to make him obey.

Alex did as she had said and ran along the tunnel with his back arched. Unfortunately, he received more than just a few pats on the back. Femi, for some reason, took in a big breath before entering, as though she was about to dive under water. She bent her back and took off through the tunnel with a grin upon her face. She could see the dark, shadowed faces dashing past her as silhouettes in the ravenous fire behind them all. Chanting, laughing, shouting and singing echoed all around her. She hadn't felt anything upon her back yet. She squinted her eyes nervously and pushed herself onwards, and before she knew it, Alex's hands stretched out and caught her shoulders to stop her from running away. He put her back into place and chuckled at her, shaking his head. Femi suddenly realised where she was and comfortably laughed with him. Woah. That was the first time that they had both _laughed_ with each other.

"**_Ariya'que_**!" A random voice belted mightily.

Whoooooo! Cries, squawks, yells, tongue-yipps. The works. Everyone went bonkers at the mention of this next game. Femi couldn't hold in her laughter, and Alex, at seeing her so lively and cheerful, also couldn't hide a smile that was growing. Their hands broke apart as they were pulled and led away from each other; they both looked back over their shoulders, still smiling, but as if longing to remain together, just like they were. But the evening went on.

Femi joined hands with the man and woman either side of her. Everyone ran backwards, as far as they could, so that their arms were strained. All of a sudden, after a yell of approval, everyone ran inwards and charged to the very center, where everyone collided, careful not to harm each other. Femi was in an uncontrollable fit of laughter after witnessing Jonathan, squished in the _exact_ middle.

The musicians carefully moved under the joined hands and made their way to the clear middle of the circle. The circle started gliding to the left, and Femi was taken with the man beside her as everyone started jumping, skipping, turning and swaying their heads to the music. Femi could feel the passion and freedom starting to pulse through her very veins.

"Sing to your guardians!" The Chief roared.

With that, everyone tilted their heads back and released long, random yells and shouts to the starlit sky. Femi wasn't about to miss out on such a task. She, too, threw her head backwards and let out all of her bottled-up emotions flutter up into the night sky. It was actually a good way of venting. After the first chance to cry had passed, the circle danced onwards. Femi was enjoying every moment of dancing along behind the guidance of the chuckling, bald man in front. Her eyes roamed over the musicians that were coolly bopping and swaying as they produced the attractive song. Femi was amazed at how fast the drummers were slapping their hands.

"_Siiiiiing_ to your guardians!" The Chief yelled in an even higher pitch.

Femi and Alex coincidentally found each other's eyesight again and let out unstoppable, cheerful laughs. The mood was too brilliant to care about anything else. They both looked up at the smoky sky and cried out at the same time. Carter and Jonathan were too busy watching the gorgeous beauties beside them to have done the same.

And then, the beats of the drums quickened all the more, if that was even possible. The musicians started singing amazingly in their native tongue and skipping about in the dirt. The children ran under the arms of the adults and joined them in frolicking about like newborn fawns. Femi was in the middle of jumping daintily upon the spot when two of the little boys ran up to her and disconnected her hands from the people either side of her.

"Come! Come!" They giggled joyously.

"Oh, no, I can't!" Femi laughed, shaking her head, "Neey'et havass!"

The boys ignored her excuse of not being able to dance and dragged her into the middle of the circle nonetheless. Carter, Jonathan and Alex were also plucked from their positions and taken into the core of the dance where Femi was jumping around with the children with much embarrassment.

"Welcome them into our home!" The Chief cackled convivially.

At his command, the tribal men and women began to close in on the 4 of them. As the circle got smaller, Femi and the 3 boys were rounded nearer to each other. The beat of the drums pounded within Femi's head and heart. She looked around and saw that there wasn't 1 person who wasn't dancing. Everyone was letting loose, forgetting their cares and worries, and just moving to the orders of their soul. Femi felt a wave of freshness brush over her.

Tilting her head back, she stretched her hands up to the sky and started to sway hypnotically just like everyone else. Her head swerving to and fro, her feet pounding into the dirt, her hair swishing about her face, and her lips stretched into a prominent smile. Carter saw her and laughed for joy, although it sounded just like another one of his amusements. Femi was smiling. So brightly that it caught her brother off guard. She was free. He was free. Everyone was _free_.

The circle then became much smaller, and Femi was ushered inwards, where she accidentally came to face Alex's back. She blushed as her eyes automatically lowered to his behind, which was moving in turn with the pounding of his feet. Alex then whirled around in his phase of simply enjoying the moment, and his green eyes locked with Femi's, yet again. Femi's heart skipped a beat with the drums. It couldn't be avoided. Here they were, literally being pushed together in a sandwich of people...

The ground was, literally, nearly trembling with the vibration of everyone's feet. The air was probably turning hot from the breath's. And the stars, their ancestors, their family, were sparkling beautifully in response to their celebrating. Femi danced before Alex, as he did in return, with her hands swaying in the air. She wasn't frowning, and neither was he. In fact, as they were pushed closer together, their smiles curved all the more, and far more flirtatiously. Femi couldn't believe she was following the force, but... why wouldn't she? What was so wrong about it?

Nothing.

Bang. Bang. Pound. Pound. The rhythm was intoxicating all of them like a sublime drug. Alex was beginning to sweat and couldn't look away from Femi. Her lips that hung agape as she panted in her fast, attractive moving. Her hair, swishing around her face, and her arms that snaked entrancingly into the air. This woman could have been mistaken for a goddess at that very moment. Fast and faster, the drums went. More breathing and panting, and now, the adults were dancing _with_ each other, instead of just next to each other. Even Jonathan and Carter had luckily been swept up by the seductive arms of a beautiful women. They couldn't have been happier. And Femi didn't have a care in the world. For once, at that exact moment, the life of the tribe and their passions were the only things that she was thinking about.

That is, until, adding to the situation, an arm swung round and knocked straight into Alex's back and pushed him over to Femi, where they collided together. Suddenly, there was a lot more on her mind. Femi instantly reacted by catching him in her arms to prevent him from falling (even though he wasn't even heading in a downwards direction) and bent her knees to be beneath his face, and look up at him, checking his current expression. He was ok. Their faces were so close now that they could feel and smell each other's breaths. Femi smelt like strawberries...

Like a dark cloud bringing forth rain, Femi and Alex were sheltered by a hot tension that poured down confidence and lust upon them both. Femi's finger tips curled around the material of Alex's shirt. His hands found her waist. They started swaying again, with people brushing against them from all directions. The heat was overwhelming, but they continued. The beat was growing so heavy and passionate now that the end was surely drawing near. It was the finale.

Femi felt herself press against Alex's front. Her eyes went to his lips. Was this really happening? Unexpectedly, Alex suddenly snatched up Femi's hand and twirled her around; Femi screamed out in laughter, but followed, and spun beneath his arm. Alex laughed. She spun outwards and then back in so that his arm wrapped around her again. Their noses nearly touched together, and just as the music came to a complicated conclusion, the two of them froze. In time, so it seemed. It would have been possible for Alex and Femi could see into each other's souls, they were so close.

The music cut off abruptly and the air was filled with screams, laughs, howls and yells. Femi released a breathless sigh and her eyes flickered all over Alex's face. The sound of her panting made Alex's chest heat up lustfully. Femi soon felt a twinge of bashfulness tug at her stomach and was forced to turn her head away and blush, but she could still feel his seductive eyes upon her. Alex blinked calmly and smiled warmly to himself; Femi always looked so damn great when she did that. And what was even better was that _he_ caused it to happen. The two of them stood as one whilst the applause went on around them.

"Thank you for the dance..." Femi uttered breathlessly, avoiding his eyes.

Alex lowered his head to try and get a better view up at her blushing face, "You're _completely_ welcome..."

Femi finally found the courage to look at him again, and when she did, they both smiled. Not flirtatiously. Not cheekily. Not falsely. But... genuinely. A real smile of gratitude. Femi had never felt so carefree and on top of the world, and neither had Alex. They both deserved each other's appreciation.


	44. Crashing The Party

_**Author's Note**: I just wanted to apologise for the delay in updates. College work has seriously been attempting to drown me lately. But, have no fear, episode 43 is here! ... Yesh, that was rather cheesy and -- forget it! Just enjoy this episode, m'kay Thank you for reading._

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The night was deep, and gentle. The large bonfire had calmed itself greatly and small, red sparks were floating up into the midnight sky like blazing fireflies. The flames hummed, and the foundation of wood beneath it crackled placidly, almost as though singing to those who remained at the camp, chattering and laughing, and still drinking their worries away (but as if a society like this could actually possess any problems - Femi found it too good to be true). And speaking of which...

Femi gazed contentedly at Lhukman as he continued telling his story to the children that had gathered around him on the warm ground. The fire was ablaze before them all, and just as Lhukman sat on a log, so did Femi, with her legs comfortably crossed and her arms resting on her knees. It was one of the many stories about life that the village told the children to help them accept death easier. And Femi felt just like one of those children. The story had a strong meaning to Femi. The entire time that she was listening, she was fiddling with her mother's ring that hung from her neck.

And meanwhile, on the other side of the fire, sat 3 young men, going about their evening delights whilst relaxing before the encouraging fire - can you guess who? Yep, that's right.

Alex took another long, distracted sip from his clay mug and gulped down the last of his alcoholic beverage. He was trying his hardest to unnoticeably stare through the fire and keep a close, but cool monitor on Femi and Lhukman, but was finding it particularly challenging at times, what with his uncle Jonathan and Carter snorting and barking in their own entertainment; they were under the influence of both alcohol, and three charming, exotic beauties who had joined their company not too long ago.

"This chap, I tell you," Jonathan slurred drastically, and plastered his hand upon Carter's chest beside him, "I've known him for not only a week... and I love him. I _love_ him, you know."

Carter chuckled in flattery and brought his cup up to drink from it, but not a drop fell. He shook it cluelessly a few times before lowering it and inspecting it with a squinted eye, as though it were a never-ending tunnel.

"So strange..." He sneered stupidly, "I can't understand why my cup is always"- Another hiccup intruded - "Empty..."

Unfortunately for Carter, whilst he observed the inner room of his mug so loyally, he began leaning further and further backwards against his own advantages until it was just too late. His legs flew up, his head soared backwards, and there was a loud yelp from the lady sitting on his left knee. They broke out into a fit of giggle upon the ground on their backs, leaving Jonathan and his 2 lady guests to wonder where they suddenly disappeared to.

Alex was oblivious to all of the happenings around him. There was only one thing that was able to maintain his full attention at that precise moment, and that was Femi and Lhukman, Alex found himself, at one point, questioning _why_, but then only grew angrier with himself for doing such a thing. He was watching Lhukman like a hawk; he didn't trust him. Not with Femi, god no, why would Alex care about the affairs that could blossom between her and that muscle head? Well, he wouldn't, and anyhow, there was still something about this villager that caught Alex off guard. He just didn't trust him, in a sense that Alex couldn't define...

... Lhukman concluded his story and leant down to one of the children nearest to him. He squinted his eyes playfully, and sent the innocent girl a positive nod, flicking her nose; she leant back and giggled.

"Nannetha nieha'hre seque." He whispered.

Femi smiled tenderly. She didn't know what the entire sentence meant, but she recognised the element of one Egyptian word in there: strength. Lhukman then burst back into life and started tickling all of the children that were in his reach, and they leapt up, screaming madly, grinning like the sun, and ran around he and Femi playfully.

But before they could fully start this new game of what appeared to be "tag", a large woman with animated eyes came shuffling over with her arms spread invitingly. She called to the children in their native tongue, and after rounding them up with the help of one additional babysitter, they escorted the lively youngsters away. One little girl turned back to look at them and sent a dainty wave of goodbye to Femi. Femi returned it, and winked.

She chuckled reflectively to herself and looked away from the group of innocents. Sighing, relaxed again, Femi casually scooped up her thick, wild hair to one side in the loose grasp of her hand, whilst slowly and carefully peeling off the veil that had been covering her face with the other. Little could she detect the presence of Lhukman's dark eyes secretly watching her. The glow upon her dainty, bare shoulder; and the elegance of her prominent neck bones; or the shape of her lips in the firelight. His eyes darted away again just before Femi released her hair and sat upright again, smiling at him...

Alex clenched his clay mug a little too boldly and caused a minute crack to waddle its way down the side of the maroon item. Alex growled under his breath and threw it into the dirt impatiently, and in turn, snatched up the leather pouch that was lying against the log beneath him and began glugging down its contents.

"Woah, Alex, my boy. You may be nineteen, but I'm still your damn uncle, and I demand that you slow down!" Jonathan ordered; however, he hardly even took _himself_ seriously, as he broke into laughter half way through it, and expressed his drunken happiness with the two ladies on his knees by pulling them even closer towards him.

They, too, laughed, and stroked his hair and neck and face and practically anywhere that their hands could reach at that exact moment; let's just say that there was an unused, single tent waiting to be used for the night.

Alex lowered his head and ripped the faucet of the bag away from his wet lips. Wiping them with the back of his hand, he grimaced at the strong aftertaste of the alcohol, and shook his head sharply. His eyes darted straight back onto the two, dark figures that lingered behind the fire. His blood was beginning to heat up. Jonathan's hand suddenly slapped down onto Alex's shoulder and caused a sharp, throbbing pain to run through his nerves. Alex gritted his teeth.

"Did you hear me, m'boy? Your mother and father asked me too watch out for you, you know." Jonathan yawned.

"Yeah. I heard." Alex bluntly replied.

He then shrugged off Jonathan's hand and stood to his feet immediately - making sure to take the pouch of ethanol that was sitting on its lonesome.

"H-hey!" Jonathan cackled, "What ever happened to "sharing"?"

Alex marched away, his dark, and brooding, glaring into the distance. Jonathan just blinked. His stumped eyes slowly glided away from his icy nephew and landed on the fireplace, coincidentally. And there - through the flames - could he identify the unmistakable countenances of Femi and Lhukman, who were engaged in what Jonathan assumed as a deep, interesting conversation, judging by how closely they were leaning into each other.

"That makes sense." Jonathan hiccupped.

Jonathan sniggered to himself, shook his head, and peered over at the empty spot on the bench beside him where Carter had once been sitting. But now, held two pairs of legs - one feminine, one masculine.

"Carter," Jonathan mumbled, "I think something's up."

Carter's lips managed to tear away (reluctantly however) from those of the beautiful young lady beside him, and he looked up, looking very dazed and high. Jonathan suddenly forgot what he was saying at that very moment and burst out laughing due to this incredibly hilarious expression. Carter carelessly joined him, and the two, drunken men went back to mingling with the women of the village. Oh, what a night this had turned out to be. And _oh_, what more there was to arrive.

"I 'dink, you would like living here?" Lhukman asked, mixed with a hint of his opinion.

Femi nodded considerately with a passionate smile at her knees, "Yes... possibly... although, I must admit, I'm not entirely positive that I could survive existing without the shops in London."

"Sshh...ops?" Lhukman repeated, confused.

Femi paused and looked up at him. He looked so stumped. She couldn't hold back an amused, delicate smile, and had to turn her head away.

"In London, our way of living hugely contrasts with yours. Shops are places that sell merchandise. Like the markets in the towns near here, you go, to buy stocks and necessities. That's what shops are. They sell all kinds of foods, clothes and means of entertainment to the people living there." Femi calmly explained to him.

Lhukman nodded subtly, "Ssshhops..."

"Yes," Femi giggled, "Shops."

"... Maybe, one day, I will go to 'dere. See 'dese sssshhops." He mused.

Femi nodded, "Maybe one day you will."

"Would I like it 'dere?" He added.

"Well, I hope so. Anyplace unfamiliar to the heart is considered unusual, and beauteous _because _of the sense that it really _is_ so new. I find London to be... well... London," Femi sighed, and began to look around at the campfire, smiling soulfully at the other people who were enjoying themselves, "But this place... to me, it's just... magical."

Lhukman's smile faltered. Was it guilt itching at him, now? No. No, he couldn't allow it. He had a responsibility and was going to live up to it. But... this woman, she was so harmless. So pure.

Femi looked back to Lhukman, "So yes, I should imagine that you would like it. Very much so."

Lhukman covered up his doubt and nodded, "My people enjoy your company. It is a shame 'dat you must leave so soon."

"Believe me, Lhukman, if it were up to us then we would stay for as long as we could...," Femi began to frown, "But destiny controls our journey now. We have a duty. And as much as we-- _I_-- may not like it... we still have to go on."

"You are wise." Lhukman stated.

Femi shook her head and smiled falsely, "No... really, it's not wisdom that's talking... it's... well, it's fear."

That last word stung Lhukman. It embedded deep into his conscience and wrenched his gut painfully. How could he do this to such a soul? He watched Femi gaze at her legs with a frail, dreamy frown in her eyes. She was alive with such passion, but being subjected to such a burden as this. Lhukman couldn't make it anymore painful for her - or any of the others. He just couldn't, and that was final.

"But you are a strong one," Lhukman softly spoke, "Na'hilah..."

Femi tilted her head to one side; her smile returned, if just by an inch, beholding such a mystified wonder, "Na'hilah...?"

"Newborn dawn. 'Dat is what I name you. 'De dawn 'dat will never die." He explained.

_Newborn dawn_. Femi's placid smile grew back. Her reaction eased Lhukman's guilt somewhat, but hardly made it disappear.

"Na'hilah," Femi repeated, "It's beautiful."

"Just as is your London, and your ssshhhoops." He sweetly added, like a child trying to pronounce a strange new word.

Femi laughed once more, "Yes, and the shops."

"When I come, you will show me 'de beauties of your London?" He hopefully asked.

"Oh, well, I"- Femi snorted and shook her head bashfully.

Lhukman narrowed his eyes thoughtfully, and held out his hand, "Come."

"Pardon?" Femi blinked.

He nodded and stood up casually, "Come. I show you my world, 'den, one day, maybe you will show me yours."

Femi wondered what exactly he was going to show her, but didn't refuse the offer. She took his hand happily and stood up with him, and he led her away from the huge bonfire and towards the steps, directing them up into the main body of the village. Carter was just in the middle of a very enjoyable smooch with one of the ladies when his eyes caught onto Femi and Lhukman walking up them. He didn't even think twice before breaking the moment, and sitting upright.

"Bloody hell, Jonathan." He exhaled furiously.

Jonathan waved his hand in annoyance as he continued to kiss the woman on his left knee; the one on his right was nearly passing out on his shoulder from all of the "drink" that she had consumed that night. Carter scrambled up onto his knees and walloped his back eagerly, causing him to jerk forwards and roar in agony. Both of the women sprung to life with yelps and repositioned themselves on the bench either side of him.

"Dammit, Carter, what?!" Jonathan whinged.

"Lhukman's making a move on my baby sis," Carter growled, his eyes narrowed on Lhukman's back as he approached the top of the steps, "She's too nave to notice."

"Ah, let her have some fun, old chap. Stay here," Jonathan lazily suggested, "Both of you."

Carter blinked at Jonathan. His eyes were criss-crossing strangely, and the finger that he had extended and pointed at Carter was swaying, unbalanced, and ready to drop again. This man was beyond drunk.

"I'm going after them. Just... stay here, old chap." Carter smirked.

He patted Jonathan on the head and made to leave, but Jonathan's hand snatched out and grasped onto his sleeve. Carter craned his neck round to look at him.

"Hold on..." Jonathan burped, "Be a good Samaritan and... help me stand?"

Carter chuckled airily and staggered round to where Jonathan sat and grasped his hand supportively. With a heave, Carter lifted him upwards, and Jonathan pounced out of his seat and nearly fell straight over. Carter steadied him gracelessly and also nearly tripped himself.

"Good man." Jonathan gurgled.

"Right. Let's... go." Carter growled, and turned, wrapping Jonathan's arm around his shoulders.

The three women whom they left behind were quick to recover from their quick departure, and soon fell asleep (or more like unconscious) under the influence of the glamorous, protective fire. But the real "party" was only just about to begin... If only someone, _anyone_, in the village had known.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Where are we going?" Femi laughed as she stumbled along a deserted, narrow passageway beside Lhukman.

"Trust me." Lhukman smiled.

He had linked arms with her to make sure that she didn't trip on a rock or twist her ankle and fall. After all, the only source of light was coming from the half moon above them, and her twinkling minion stars. The music and chatter from back at the campfire could be heard creeping up behind the two of them, and the glow of the fire could be seen reaching up towards the sky above the rocky hills. But Femi and Lhukman were oblivious to the additional evidence of the celebration that was stalking them in the darkness...

The head of Jonathan's food hooked upon the hump of a rock and he stacked over into the rocky wall beside him. He snorted loudly and bent down to laugh into his knees with his hands covering his face. Carter anxiously shushed him and tried to quiet him down for fear that his little sister and her muscly escort would discover them.

"Bloody hell Jonathan, keep it down!" He whispered.

"Alright, alright..." Jonathan uttered, and attempted to nod seriously... but only began chuckling some more.

Carter peered past the rocky edge of the wall and spotted Femi and Lhukman's silhouettes disappear around the bend. He cursed silently under his breath.

"Not under my watch, _sir_." Carter growled at the though of Lhukman.

Carter leant back and looked over his shoulder at Jonathan; Jonathan slid down the wall, laughing and jabbering quietly to himself. He quickly pressed his finger to his lips and told himself to shush. Had he completely forgotten that Carter was there? Maybe he had suddenly become a schizophrenic?

"Stay there." Carter sighed at the hopeless Jonathan.

Jonathan nodded to the earthy ground before him and held his finger to his lips, giggling. Carter scoffed, slightly amused, and stepped out from behind the bend of the passageway and swiftly tiptoed onwards to spy on his little sister...

Lhukman suddenly moved behind Femi and covered her eyes with his warm hands. Femi gasped, tensing up, and her hands flew to his wrists in worry.

"It is alright... trust me." Lhukman reassured her calmly.

"What's happening?" She nervously asked.

"It is a surprise... I want to show you my favourite place to come, whenever I need to 'dink, and just be by myself." Lhukman whispered, and without Femi realising it, she was slowly walking again.

The grip on Lhukman's wrists loosened, and she slid them down his hands and kept them there, still wary. She wasn't too fond of not being able to see where her feet were being place, but followed Lhukman's guidance, and fortunately hadn't tripped _yet_. She listened to the crunching of the rocky sand beneath their feet, the music and voices from back in the village, and the sighing of the magical wind. Femi began to relax. They stopped.

"Are we there?" Femi asked; her voice sounded rather excited.

"We are here," He agreed, "Welcome... to my world."

With that, he uncovered Femi's closed eyes and she was granted with sight once more. She had to blink a few times to adjust to the light again, but once her eyes refocused, she exhaled so softly that it escaped in a long, distant sigh of wonder. Lhukman glanced at her reaction as she took an independent step forwards to adore the view.

The sand itself was glossing beneath the glow of the stars and the moon, and gradually, the midnight breeze would strip layers and layers of sand off, one by one, creating the illusion that the sand had become shimmering waves. Inspirited. Free. The sky was blessed with colours of mystery; navy blue, black, silver and deep purple, mingled together like a tie-dye, and sparkling with billions of stars. Femi closed her eyes and took a long breath in through her nose; she could smell the very soul of this world... it was so strong to her... so... so fa-... familiar?

"Do you like it?" Lhukman asked.

Femi's eyes slowly reopened, and she nodded, dazed, "I do..."

Carter, who was hiding behind a boulder in the background, silently imitated Lhukman by making a number of deformed, hideous faces to the floor. His eyes were blazing with suspicion. He peered past the boulder again and narrowed his eyes at the figure of his sister. Why wasn't she seeing any of this?

"... Why do you not stay, then?" He suddenly asked.

This question swooped down and stole away the magic of the moment. Femi slowly, and unsurely, turned slightly, and looked back at him; right there, and then, in that exact lighting, with the wind blowing in her hair, Femi nearly had the same effect on Lhukman that the landscape had on her. This woman truly was The Guardian.

"... Stay?" Femi whispered glossily.

Lhukman nodded, "Once you and your friends complete your journey successfully... why do you not return to 'dis place? 'Dere is more 'dan enough room for new family members."

"Lhukman..." Femi spoke, as though his name held all the obviousness in the world, "I... it is..."

"What?" He urged her on.

She turned away and shook her head, "How do you even know that we _will_ complete it successfully?..."

Her doubt made Lhukman frown. He stepped up beside her and folded his arms across his stern, glowing chest.

"I will make sure of it." He deeply promised.

Femi looked up at him in the hush of her worries. Knowing that he would be helping did help her faith somewhat, but she was still nervous.

"And when we do... where will you go? Back to London?" He rhetorically asked.

Femi's eyes found the shimmering horizon once more, "Well, I suppose so... yes..."

Lhukman remained quiet for a moment. Just thinking. Anticipating the next thing that either of them would say.

"Come home... where you really belong," Lhukman tried to persuade her, "_Guardian_..."

And again, behind the large boulder, Carter was pulling drastic expressions to himself, such as rolling his eyes, or scrunching his face in confusion and anger. This bucko wasn't fooling him in the _slightest_. But all of a sudden, everything, every existing element of peace and hope, was shattered, smashed; murdered. A hand came out of nowhere and clasped around Carter's mouth. He tried to scream, he tried to fight back, but he soon understood that between his face and the hand, was a damp, grey cloth, soaked in some kind of acid... some kind of drug... his eyes lowered... his awareness sunk... his world turned grey... the last thing he saw, before giving in, was his sister's hair, flowing in the breeze...

"I... I..." Femi stuttered hesitantly.

She sounded like a lost little child again. Lhukman waited patiently for her response, no matter what it would be. But his eyes glimpsed a shot of her from the side, her profile, her emotion. She was hurting.

"... Whatever you decided, Guardian," Lhukman continued, "Know 'dat my people are always here."

Femi looked up at Lhukman at that moment. Their eyes met, and Femi smiled. She felt just as at home here as she did back in London - perhaps, dare she admit it, even more so. But she couldn't live here. This just wasn't her world anymore - despite who she was in the past. God, was she actually referring to her past life? So, did that mean she was finally accepting herself to be "The Guardian"? ... Femi was so lost, in all honesty.

"Oh, how touching." A sarcastic, feminine voice gasped out of nowhere; Femi knew it, somehow, someway, and as soon as she heard its intrusion, her heart sank, and her defences sprung to life.

Lhukman and Femi spun round in alarm to meet their new company. Femi's heart wept, boiled, and trembled all at the same time at recognising who the newcomer was. With an army of men behind her dressed in black, concealing clothing, she stood proudly, with a smug smirk, and her hands on her hips.

"...Meela." Femi uttered in complete disbelief.

"Well don't sound so excited to see me, Princess." Meela spat sarcastically.

Femi shook her head, stunned, "H-how did you... The Medjai..."

"M'yes, those egotistical idiots really caused a delay for us. But we managed to get around them, hence our presence." Meela coolly hissed.

Lhukman took a step forward, "Meela, I swear by 'de Gods, if you"-

"Oh, save it Lhukman. I have no respect for you, let alone your filthy "Gods", She cut him off bitterly, narrowing her eyes at the furious man, "I must admit, when you gave your service to me, I wasn't completely sure that I could trust you. Now I know, I was right."

"Enough!" Lhukman barked.

Femi looked up at him, confuse, damaged, curious, terrified. What was going on??

"Something told me that you wouldn't be able to go through with it, so, I produced a back-up plan, just in case," She hissed like a cat, "We came to crash the party, but as soon as I saw you and your little girlfriend here taking a moonlit stroll, hand in hand, I just couldn't resist..."

"What is she talking about, Lhukman??" Femi asked, her voice cracking.

Lhukman looked down at her, speechless. What could he have said? This was all true, and his own fault, too.

"Oh, these moments of shocking truths are so over-rated," Meela impatiently tsk'd, "Get them."

With an effortless wave of her hand, the group of men behind her charged around her, and stampeded straight for Femi and Lhukman. Femi gasped and skipped backwards to avoid them whilst Lhukman stepped in front of her protectively.

"AARRGHHH!" Lhukman roared aggressively.

He managed to punch and elbow and head-butt at least four of the men to the ground, but he couldn't hold them all back. What was even worse, was that with each strike, Lhukman was subconsciously being forced backwards all the more. Femi felt the earth beneath her left heel crumble away and clung to Lhukman fearfully with a little squeak; peering over her shoulder, she caught a petrifying picture of the bitter drop that was awaiting them.

"Luhkmaaaan!" Femi screamed.

Lhukman swung out just one, last punch, and that was it. Femi was knocked back, her arms flailing out like wings, and her eyes wide in ghostly fear. Was this it? Her end? She threw her head back to release her last emotions through a shrilly scream when, suddenly, a pair of arms snagged around her sides, and jerked her back up. It seemed to happen in slow motion, from this point onwards...

...The sky lowered and was replaced by a pair of dark, regretful eyes. Lhukman's eyes. Femi was moving upwards, but he was going down.** Past** her. As if... as if switching places...

And then, Femi was free of his grip, and suddenly hitting the ground on her front, beckoning a thick cloud of sand to arise around her. She gasped, scuttled round, and clung to the edge of the cliff. She gasped and dug her nails into the dry earth. Her lips trembled at the sight.

Lhukman's body lay twisted upon the dark ground below. He was dead.

So many regrets... so many wishes... Just a second ago, Lhukman stood there, asking her to come and live with him... and now...?

Hands sprung out and clutched around Femi's arms and shoulders painfully. They dragged her up onto her feet where she slowly started struggling and becoming teary-eyed. She was turned away from the mournful horizon and came to face Meela. Beautifully deadly.

"Are you really going to cry for that worm?" Meela sniggered, "He practically handed you over to me on a golden platter."

Femi gritted her teeth furiously. Oh, this woman was going to get what she deserved...

Meela smirked, "Right. Let's move. I want to get there by morning."

Get there? Where? Oh god, no one was even aware that she and Lhukman had disappeared. No one would realise until morning, perhaps even later!

"..._No_!" Femi gasped, realising the crucial seriousness of what was going to happen next.

"Yes." Meela chirped mockingly.

Meela turned, flicking her hair in Femi's face, and paced onward with her hips swaying and her shoulders rolling beautifully. Femi tried to hold back, but the men beside and behind her were far too rough and strong. She resorted to screaming, but within just a second, a cloth came out of nowhere and she was gagged. Her voice couldn't escape through the thick, musty fabric. She heaved, choking on the material - and her own emotions.

A tear skipped down her sun-kissed cheek.

_Was this really happening?_


	45. Discovering The Plan

_**Author's Note (**URGENT_ _Before you read this chapter, please travel backwards to the newly updated episode 6: "The Story". I must announce to you all that I foolishly forgot to post up one of the most important chapters of the entire story, which is filled with crucial information. I can assure you that by reading that update, you will understand so much more of this story - trust me. I can't believe I didn't receive any flames or complaints as to why Femi had suddenly gone from preparing herself for answers, to running into a garage with Rick and Evy toward her escape? You people are too good to me :) But still, please go back, it's deadly important. I'm terribly sorry for the confusion...  
_----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alex splashed the cool water onto his face and rubbed his skin soothingly to wash all the dirt and sweat away. He had definitely sobered up by now, and although there was still life and music around the grand bonfire, the villagers were slowly turning in for bed. Alex wondered where his uncle and the others were -- well, no, he couldn't give a monkey's rotten backside where Femi and Lhukman were... right? - just his drunken uncle and his new best buddy, Carter. Alex smirked as he began to dry his face with a cloth; those two were such a couple. Like two old women who grew up together.

In fact, it was rather late. Going onto morning. Alex felt it was time to go and check up on them, just to make sure they weren't causing too much trouble. And so, wiping his hands dry in turn with his face, he threw the cloth to his bed (built in from stone, with thick blankets for support to make it comfortable and cushiony) and made for the door. He stepped out into the cool night and took a long, deep breath in through his nose to enjoy the strong smell of burning wood, from the bonfire just across the road from him.

Alex briskly made his way along the dark, deserted road of the village with his eyes dead set on the campfire that was glowing over the top of the stone steps. Everyone else was in bed apart from the fair few who were feeling dangerous. Alex tucked his hands comfortably into his trouser pockets as he trotted down the stone steps and his eyes began to scan the area for two familiar (or hopefully even three) faces. But... the more he searched, the further his hope sank. Where were they? Not on the benches where he had left them, not on he floor... Hmph. Like disobedient children.

Alex sighed tiresomely and walked over to a small group of villagers. He removed his hands from his pockets and used his hands to help communicate with them, even though he was fluent in Egyptian.

"No, no..." They said, shake their heads.

Alex sighed and tried to next few people who he came across, but received the same answer. No, or La' in Egyptian. Alex was becoming very frustrated. Was he not giving people clear enough descriptions? Were they too drunk to even care? Oh, he didn't know what was going on. Alex wandered towards the large fire that was still burning with all its might. He sighed, contemplatively, and narrowed his eyes at it in thought. Where _were_ they?

A large, friendly arm suddenly landed around Alex's shoulders, and he was yanked into someone's chest quite forcefully. The person laughed loudly, making it rattled through Alex's already clouded mind, and then patted him hard on the back. Clearly, this guy didn't know his own strength.

"Alex, tell me, are you enjoying yourself?" The Chief barked merrily.

Alex rubbed his sore shoulder distractedly, "Yeah, yeah, it's great, thanks Chief. Hey, have you seen my uncle and his friend anywhere?"

The Chief turned up his bottom lip curiously, but shook his head nonetheless, "I do not believe I have seen 'dem since 'de games, earlier 'dis night."

"Yeah..." Alex sighed in disappointment, "Thanks anyhow."

"Aaaaay, now, no frowns!" The Chief chuckled and rubbed his knuckles against Alex's chin playfully, "Have anod'er drink."

Alex smiled softly, "Yeah, I might just do that, you know..."

"Good man!" The Chief laughed, and patted him once more before leaving to talk with some more of his people.

Alex rubbed the back of his neck gently and sighed. Maybe he was just stressing too much. And who could blame him? The entire journey so far had been packed with nothing but surprises, violence, and more violence. He had to be aware.

Just then, Alex's gentle eyes detected a light course of movement next to the fire out of the corner of his eyes. Looking over, he recognised 3 women laying in a row by the logs that Jonathan and Carter had been sitting upon after Alex left them. An idea sprung to mind. Alex approached the stirring women and knelt down by their feet curiously.

He nudged their ankles calmly, "Assa. _Assa_."

The woman took a sharp breath in and rolled onto her back to look down at Alex. She quirked up a sleep eyebrow and waited for him to continue impatiently. He _was_ disturbing her sleep after all.

Alex nodded and slowly asked the women where his uncle had gone off to. The women, once he had finished talking, blinked confusedly at him for a moment as she tried to think back on the occasion. Her eyes trailed up to the fire, and she lifted her eyebrows casually.

"Kess'he, que'leh, oobahr ee'er iinakha." She mumbled drowsily and waved her hand behind her.

Alex's eyes flickered in the direction she was indicating to. He could see the dark, thin opening of a passageway, and with the information that she had just given him, his instincts were clenching. Tightly. She had told him: "_he said something about going after someone... love..._" Love, meaning Femi, in Egyptian. They went after Femi - and down there? A dark, hidden route that led to practically nowhere? Something didn't feel right. And there was Alex, wondering if he was being _too_ paranoid not just a few minutes ago. Idiot!

"Neye'ente." Alex mumbled and stood back up.

The woman released a mousy little sigh before dropping her head and continuing to snooze with her friends. Alex, by that time, had already leapt over the log and entered the pathway's daunting opening.

"Uuuunnccclleee!" Alex yelled as he jogged through the darkness.

His voice echoed through the mountains, but no one replied - _yet_. Alex slowed his running down and made sure to look left and right thoroughly as he strolled along. Knowing his uncle, he could have stumbled or simply lost balance and left himself to sleep right there in the nothingness.

"Femiii! Caarrtteeerr!" Alex shouted loudly again.

He lowered his hands from around his mouth and released a loud, exasperated sigh. The feeling in his gut was only growing stronger, now. Alex gulped down his sudden exhaustion and carried on walking, his eyes darting here and there. A couple of times had he mistaken a random boulder for his uncle's body, and resulted in disappointment. But that only made him all the more eager to find them.

"Feeeemmmiii!" He roared hopefully, "Where the hell a"--

A long, languid groan interrupted Alex and caught his attention. There, up ahead, lying on the side of the passage, was a body, now moving very stiffly as though in pain. Alex kicked off from the ground and raced towards the person. For some reason, over his uncle, or Carter, Femi was the first person who popped into his mind. He was hoping. Wishing. But... no. It was his uncle. As happy as he was to see him safe, he was still worried about Femi.

"Oh, dammit, unc." Alex sighed, rolling his eyes, and panting.

Jonathan rolled onto his back and peered up at his nephew through squinted eyes, "Bloody 'ell, 'llex..."

Alex bent down next to his uncle, "I knew you were out here somewhere..."

"I had the weirdest dream, kiddo." Jonathan snorted, rubbing the back of his head.

"Oh yeah?" Alex snickered, and wrapped his uncle's arm around his shoulders to lift him up.

"Yeah." Jonathan groaned as he was hoisted up onto his unsteady feet next to Alex.

Alex shook his head to himself, "What about, huh?"

Alex started walking very slowly so that his uncle could keep up. But all the while, Alex's eyes were searching. Scanning. Expecting. If he found his uncle here, then the other two would be close by. Right?...

"Me and Carter, the old plum," Jonathan began, and released a large, vulgar burp; Alex grimaced, "We were ch-chasing Femi... and old muscle-head. And... I fell, in this, ditch kind of thing... but then, I didn't... iss' kind of hard to explain, if you get what I mean..."

"Yeah, I get you." Alex agreed carelessly; he was too busy looking around.

"But in my dream, I was asleep, but still awake... I was in the ditch, you know," Jonathan chuckled sleepily, "And, those bloody men were waking me up. I think M-Meela might've been with 'em, but I can never really remember in dreams, ey? Who ever can?"

Alex stopped walking, "What did you say?"

Jonathan hiccupped, "I s-said... I can never remember in m"-

"No, no, before that, dammit. What did you dream about??" Alex snapped desperately.

"Alright, chappy, no need to get violent," Jonathan stupidly bit back, "I said... I saw the men... in black... and the witch... Meela. Although, she didn't try to hurt me this time. It was all very unreal, really... like I said, I was trying to sleep, in my sleep... if that makes sense... like a dream of a dream, and"-

"Are you sure you were dreaming, unc? This is god damn serious, so you had better wake up soon before I knock the life into you." Alex growled and ripped his arm from his shoulders.

"T-Take it easy! Blimey, you're just as bloody bonkers as your dad!" Jonathan squawked with his hands up innocently.

Alex stepped towards him, "Femi and Carter's lives could be in danger, dammit, now wake up! Was it a dream, or not?! Was Meela HERE?!"

Alex's voice echoed down the alley. Jonathan was quite taken back by his sudden outburst. He had never seen him so eager, and so anxious... But he knew what was causing it. A girl. Just one, simple girl.

"Uuggghh... Femiiiiii...!" A distant voice cried.

Jonathan and Alex snapped their heads round and stared into the distance of the passageway. It came from down there somewhere. Jonathan stepped behind Alex and gulped fearfully.

"You go first. Good chap. Knew you loved me really." Jonathan uttered foolishly.

Alex ignored him and started walking at a fast pace. Jonathan jogged to keep up. They could still hear the faint voices from the campfire, and now a soft, violin-like instrument was softly playing to set the mood. But it didn't change the atmosphere of the pathway in the slightest. Alex still felt on edge, and concerned, and so god-damned furious. He couldn't explain it. Why was he feeling like this??

"Bloody hell!" Jonathan gasped.

Over Alex's shoulder, he could see Carter, wavering towards them and limping as he came along. Alex broke out into a run and met Carter just before he started falling to the ground. A trail of dry blood came from both his ears, and his eyes were partially bloodshot. What the hell had happened to this guy?

"Woah, woah. Easy, Carter, it's me buddy." Alex muttered calmly.

Carter forced his eyes to stay open, "Alex... they got Femi..."

Carter's voice trailed off and he was falling towards a deep sleep. However, Alex was fired up by the information he had just received, and shook him roughly to keep him conscious.

"Who got her, Carter? Stay awake, please. We need to find Femi. Where did they take her?" Alex clearly and loudly asked.

"Meela..." Carter whispered, exhausted, and aching all over, "They left..."

"Where?" Alex grunted, "Where??"

Jonathan's hand came to Alex's shoulder. Alex paused, and then looked round at his uncle.

"He doesn't know, Alex," Jonathan calmly told him, "Let the poor man rest, ey?"

Jonathan was right. Alex was so determined to find Femi that he hadn't realised that Carter had obviously suffered, or perhaps still was. Alex sighed guiltily and then folded Carter over his shoulder with a light grunt of strength.

"What are you doing?" Jonathan cluelessly asked, and hiccupped randomly afterwards.

"We need to get back to the village and tell Ardeth, _now_," Alex replied bitterly, "And he better have a damn good reason as to how the hell Meela and her men got into the village..."

Jonathan turned with his nephew and stumbled along behind him, "Blimey, yeah... how do you suppose that happened?"

"I dunno'. But I'm gonna find out." Alex growled.

His eyes narrowed at the glowing exit up ahead that led back into the campfire area. He was furious. How _dare_ the Medjai allow this to happen. They waltz in here like Knights on their Stallions and heroically offer to help protect Femi, and yet now, what's happened? They've just allowed them to stroll straight through and kidnap the one person who they were supposed to be watching!!

"... Morons." Alex hissed aloud.

"You know, kiddo," Jonathan cleared his throat, "I can't help but notice just how fired up you are about all of this."

"What else would you expect? They got Femi. The Guardian." Alex snapped.

"Yeah, but... not just now... all the time." Jonathan added sheepishly.

Alex stopped walking just for that moment and cocked his head round at his uncle, his eyebrows knitting together icily. Jonathan jumped and pulled his lips in childishly.

"What the hell're you talking about?" Alex sneered.

"Well, it's just..." Jonathan began to draw a circle in the air with his finger tip, "Ever since you met the girl, you've sorta'..."

"Sorta' _what_, unc?" Alex snipped darkly.

"Well..."- Jonathan trailed off into a defeated silences.

"Ugh, we don't have time for this, unc," Alex sighed, closing his eyes, "The more time we waste on pointless subjects like this, the further Meela gets with Femi. We can't let her get too far. Come on."

Alex turned again and marched onwards. But before following, Jonathan stood still, and just watched his nephew go. At that exact moment, Alex could have been mistaken by _anyone_ for his dear old dad. Jonathan could see what was going on very clearly, just like he saw it between Rick and Evie; it was happening, all over again, just like watching a movie being replayed.

"Good man." Jonathan whispered aloud, and smiled reflectively at the back of his nephew.

Alex suddenly realised that he couldn't hear his uncle's footsteps and stopped marching. He turned, narrowed his eyes, and grunted impatiently once he spotted him so far away.

"What, are you coming, or not??" Alex yelled.

Jonathan jumped back into life, "Yeah! Yeah, coming!"

Alex sighed and shook his head as he waited. And as he did so, he couldn't help but ponder on his uncle's pervious words. Was he right? Had Alex really been acting differently since being around Femi?... Dammit, right or wrong, it didn't change the fact that Femi was gone, and Alex wasn't going to let Meela keep her.

Alex exploded out into the firelight and the campfire erupted with mumbles and odd silences. All eyes were curiously watching the limp body in Alex's arms, and the rotten expression on Alex's own face. Something was up. Perhaps the fellow had just gotten a bit too drunk and they'd had an argument? Ah, no one knew, but they hardly suspected anything crucial.

Alex ignored the stares and gossiping and strode across the gathering circle to where The Chief's tent stood. Jonathan, however, during his obedient following, made a specific attempt to wave at everyone and send them casual, merry smiles. It hardly made the situation any better.

Alex arrived at the entrance of the tent and brushed through it without the use of hands (they were currently occupied with holding the unconscious body of Carter) and awoke The Chief from his deep concentration before his miniature fire. The Chief, upon recognising Alex, smiled tenderly, and stood up to his full height with his hands out in a welcome.

"Alex." He greeted him.

"Meela's got Femi." Alex breathed out bitterly.

The Chief's expression of joy and serenity faltered. It was now under the threat of a concerned scowl. Alex nodded furiously and jogged his arms up to stable Carter more securely.

"They knocked her brother out and kidnapped her," Alex grunted, just as Jonathan came strolling in behind him, still waving to the people outside like some sort of celebrity, "So, what I wanna' know, is where the damn Medjai are."

The Chief's eyes flickered about in his element of deep thought and worry. How could this have happened?? Alex stood impatiently and waited for him to speak. There was going to either be an exceptional reason for all of this, or someone would be getting hurt; Alex's finger tips twitched against Carter's ribs throughout the anxious silence.

"Massabaaaaahhh!" The Chief roared.

Jonathan leapt like a frightened mouse and came up behind Alex. The Chief mustered up a huge, fiery breath and strode past the two of them to the door. Alex kept still, facing the fire, and trying to breathe calmly rather than curse and growl.

"Massabah! Ee'hetteh alla'qu essa keh! Massbah! _Massabah_!" The Chief's furious voice could be heard from outside.

Other voices whimpered, gasped and shouted in all kinds of manners. Feet scuffled and shuffled about, and Alex knew, the Medjai were being summoned. The tent door swooshed aside again and The Chief pounded back inside to join the company of the silent, sulking Alex, and his sheepish uncle.

"How could 'dis have happened..." The Chief grumbled as he paced by his fire.

"That's what I wanna know." Alex agreed icily.

"'Der must be some'ding more. Some'ding else 'dat we are nod' aware of." The Chief mused aloud, rubbing his chin, and his wide eyes staring at the floor intensely.

Alex's breathing deepened, "I damn well hope so."

The loud swish of the tent door cut into the tense conversation and a number of the Medjai came jogging inside very eagerly. They all came before The Chief and bowed their heads respectfully. But The Chief did not approve.

"How did this happen?!" The Chief barked, "Do you know what could happen now 'dat 'de Guardian has been taken?!"

"Femi's safety isn't important just because she's the guardian, Chief." Alex stepped in protectively.

The Chief looked over at him curiously. He then stepped past the four Medjai and came towards him with his hands held out.

"Not only is Femi in danger, but 'de prophecy of 'de Pharaoh's army, Alex. Femi must be safe, yes, but so must all of Egypt." He reminded him genuinely.

Alex stared into The Chief's wide, worried eyes. They beheld no hint of anything that made Alex angry; this man was being sincere. And he was, in fair moderation, correct. Femi had to be safe, but she and the Diamond Heart were the only two remaining keys left. Once they were joined with the Parallel Stars... the army would be awoken, and a massacre would sweep over the lands.

"This has suddenly become a tad more serious, hasn't it..." Jonathan commented nervously once he noted the look in his nephew's eyes.

"Chief," One of the Medjai spoke out, "You must forgive us for keeping you in 'de dark..."

The Chief turned to look upon the four men in wonder, as did Alex. The middle man stepped forwards and held out his hand, which was gently grasped around a small scroll.

"What is 'dis?" Asked The Chief, apprehensively.

"Orders from Arded'." He replied obediently.

"Ardeth? Where is he?" Alex snapped.

"... Gone, young O'Connell." One of the other Medjai answered.

Silence.

_Gone_?

"What the hell?" Alex sneered, finally, after such a long pause.

"He delivered 'dem to us not four hours ago, after sighting Meela and her men approaching," The man continued, and unravelled the scroll, "Here."

Alex shifted his feet impatiently and felt his blood boil. Ardeth had seen Meela coming? So why the hell hadn't he told anyone?! Alex turned and loaded Carter's limp body onto Jonathan's chest, and Jonathan quickly snatched him up, staggering back, and puffing his cheeks out like a fish in his struggle to steady himself. Alex then arrived at The Chief's side and the two of them began to read the letter at the same time.

Jonathan glanced about at the different faces in the room. He was still fairly tipsy, but not to the extent that he could hardly talk properly. He was slowly recovering now... but this situation really wasn't helping his nerves.

"The bastard...!" Alex hissed aloud.

"What is it, son?" Jonathan asked him curiously.

Alex turned away from the letter and brought his hands stressfully to the back of his head, "_Dammit_!"

"'De man is smart... al'dough, I cannot help but be concerned for 'deir safety." The Chief sighed, ruminating, and scrunched up the letter.

Jonathan licked his lips apprehensively, "What the bloody hell is it??"

"Ardeth caught one of Meela's men when they were sneakin' into the village and took their clothes," Alex explained angrily, "He kidnapped Femi with Meela, and now he's gone off on the journey with them to find out where they're going. They all think he's one of 'em. N' he plans on messaging through bird-flight to tell us what's goin' on."

Jonathan's eyebrows elevated in both impress and shock, "Blimey... I'm not sure whether to congratulate the chap for being a genius, or a complete crack-pot."

"You're tellin' me." Alex sneered.

"I know Arded'. He is a wise, responsible man who never puts himself before anyone else. We can trust his decisions." The Chief reassured everyone.

Alex went straight up to The Chief and stared directly into his eyes, "I damn well hope so, Chief... but I want ten of your best men ready in half an hour, or I'm goin' on my own."

Jonathan jumped slightly, "W-what're you on, Alex??"

"I'm goin' after 'em. Anyone wanna' try n' stop me?" Alex challenged stubbornly.

He looked around at everyone else - meaning, the four Medjai who were still in the tent. They glanced obediently at The Chief, who shook his head at them, and sighed knowingly.

"I trust you know what you are doing, young O'Connell?" He rhetorically asked.

Alex cracked his neck, "Nope. But I don't care... I'm gonna' get Femi back, either way."

The Chief watched him thoughtfully as he marched back over to his uncle and took Carter from him. This young man was already so mature for his age - The Chief was worried that he would attempt too much than he could handle, and all for something so vague, and unnoticed. When would Alex finally realise what was driving him onwards so passionately?

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The _early_-morning wind swept over the silent, sandy desert and picked up a sheet of grey sandy, and carried it across the dunes, and dragging it straight across the paths of a group of night wanderers.

Femi blinked desperately to try and keep the sand from her sore eyes. It had happened too many times already. The unfaithful sand shifted beneath her exhausted feet, and she found it very difficult to keep up with the camel which her wrists were tied to; she was being pulled along on a rope, like a dog on its leash. She was still gagged, for a reason she couldn't think of, other than that Meela just wanted her to suffer - who was around to hear her cries?

The camels grunted peacefully, and the wind whispered the secrets of the land in its mother tongue. Femi's heavy eyelids threatened to lower under its hypnotism. _One foot after the other, just keep going_ - she told herself. She tilted her head back and stared up at the silver stars vulnerably. She prayed to be rescued... she prayed...

The exotic wind blew over the group again, and this time, bringing with it a thicker amount of sand than any yet. Femi was caught off guard by its sudden arrival and felt the sand sting in her eyes; she shook her head to try and rid the sharp pain, but lost her balance instead, and stumbled down into the sand on her side with a weak grunt. The camel didn't even slow down, and continued walking, dragging her through the sand. Her wrists burnt under the pressure of the rope. She whimpered and wept through the cloth in her mouth - someone, anyone!

And just like that, as though a Goddess had heard her desperate prayers, she felt a pair of strong, determined arms wrap around her sides, and she was delicately hoisted up onto her feet.

"Stay wid' me, Femi," A deep, handsome voice whispered in her ear, "You are not alone."

Femi turned her head and gazed over her shoulder inquisitively. The man holding her was wearing the same clothing as the rest of Meela's men, with his face hidden, and a vicious word on his hip... but there was one thing that Femi could tell apart: his eyes. They were familiar to her. So gentle, and dreamy. This man wasn't a follower of Meela, he was-

"What's going on?" Meela snapped angrily.

Femi and her rescuer looked up; Meela had turned her camel round and trotted back to them. The rest of her men were waiting patiently up ahead.

"'De girl is slowing my camel down, your grace," The man lied, "If she would ride wid' me, 'den we would move much quicker."

Meela arched a thin, black eyebrow at Femi's weak, helpless form below her. She looked around thoughtfully, admiring the views, and smelling the wind, and enjoying the feel of it toying with her hair. When she was finally done, she nodded, and waved her hand dismissively.

"Hurry up with it." She sneered.

Kicking her camel in the side, she steered it back round with the reigns, and moved onwards without them. Femi sighed in relief and relaxed into the firm chest of her hero, who gladly supported her.

"You can relax, now. Sleep." The man whispered to her.

Femi wanted to badly to ask who he was. His identity was dangling on a single threat in the back of her mind -- she just couldn't remember. It was too late, nonetheless; Femi had no time left. She released one, last breath of comfort before allowing her sore, bloodshot eyes to close, and falling limp into the arms of her rescuer, in a deep, _deep_ slumber...

"Dream of peace." Ardeth whispered to her, but also, in some sense, to himself... to everyone...


	46. Daddy

_Femi took a deep breath in and her nostrils swelled with the divine scent of sweet pollen. She lifted her head and opened her eyes. She was back in that flowery field again, where she had often been visiting in her dreams. Blue sky, colourful flowers, and a warm, gentle wind. _

Femi brought on of her hands up and tucked a curl behind her ear. She just gazed silently for a moment as to appreciate the peace. Why couldn't she just stay here forever...

A sharp, attractive chip caught Femi's attention from her left, and she looked over just in time to catch a smear of orangey-beige flash by. Femi smiled knowingly and turned fully to welcome the little fox that had been stalking her dreams lately.

"You can come out, now." Femi called.

The fox poked its head out of the thick grass and its left ear twitched prettily. Femi bent over and held her hand out welcomingly.

"Come on. Come here, then." She cooed.

The little fox just sat there and watched her happily. Femi tilted her head to one side and stared back. It wasn't going to come to her just like that. It was going to take time for their trust to build. Femi sighed, leaning up, and nodded considerately to the little baby animal.

"Alright then. Another time..." She agreed.

The sky was becoming brighter, nearly white. Femi looked up and sighed; it was time to go now...

Femi stirred against the cushioned support behind her and released a sigh of awakening. She could feel a tender warmth upon her face, and recognised the rhythm of movement beneath her. The sound of the precious, mysterious wind. A camel snorted. Oh, dear... Femi suddenly remembered where she was, and what had happened before her dream, and wished that she would return to her sleep. But no... it really was time to wake up.

Femi reluctantly opened her eyes and stared out into the distance. Heat waves wobbled in the air before her, and behind them, colours of a dying fire welcomed her. Orange, red, pink and cream, blended together, light on top and darkest at the bottom. Femi's expression remained emotionless as she admired the scenery. She couldn't smile, for she had already noted the black-clothed men who were riding upon the backs of their camels up front. Instead, she sighed, and turned her head away.

"Good morning to you." A familiar voice quietly spoke from behind her.

Femi blinked and went to sit upright, but a pair of hands settled on her shoulders, and eased her back into place. Femi didn't resist. She glanced warily at the men up front before deciding to talk back.

"... Ardeth?" She whispered.

He chuckled under his breath, "Was I 'dat memorable?"

_Now_, Femi smiled, "What are you doing here??"

"Would you rader' me not be?" He asked sarcastically.

Femi realised how her reaction must have sounded and blushed, embarrassed at her rudeness, "Sorry, I just... I didn't expect..."-

"I am here to make sure noding' happens to you, or your fader'. When we reach Meela's destination, I shall send word back to 'de village of our whereabouts." Ardeth explained as softly as he could.

Femi narrowed her eyes thoughtfully, "How will you do that?"

Ardeth stared nonchalantly up ahead, "Do not attempt to look... but behind us, at least fifty feet back, 'der is a small, grey bird. It has been following my trail ever since I left 'de village, and 'dat is how I shall contact 'de oders'."

"Bird messaging." Femi whispered, impressed.

"I made sure to keep 'de bird at a safe distance, 'dis time... as my last companion was lost in 'de course of its loyalty." Ardeth mused.

Femi watched the golden sand slowly move by and felt a sense of faint easement in the different patterns that the wind had created for her to observe. Her eyes closed mournfully...

"...Lhukman..."

Ardeth finally tore his eyes away from the horizon to peer down at Femi. She allowed her head to balance upon her shoulder and relaxed into Ardeth once more under defeat of her emotions. Ardeth tightened his grip on her left shoulder supportively.

"Whatever happened... it is in 'de past now. If we allowed ourselves to be affected by history, 'de world would be colourless by now." Ardeth wisely told her.

Femi opened her eyes again, "... But it was my fault. Lhukman would still be alive by now if..."

Ardeth looked out into the distance again, seemingly emotionless, "Lhukman made his own path. All of his decisions led him up to 'dat moment. Not you."

He was right, in all honesty. Lhukman had a choice whether to help Meela or not, and he decided. He was the only one who could be blamed for his death. But Femi's conscience was being too strict upon her emotions at that exact moment for her to agree and begin to heal.

"What's going to happen," Femi whispered, "When we get there?"

Ardeth waited for a moment, "I do not know."

Femi had nothing else to say. The path ahead was unclear to any of them, and that daunted her. Femi frowned to herself and returned to watching the sand drift by, and enjoy the hypnotic swaying that the camel produced for her and Ardeth.

"... But I know 'dat you have noding' to fear, Femi." Ardeth finally added in a smooth, promising tone.

Femi's eyes softened, perhaps with salt water of faith, or relief, or gratefulness... but whatever she felt, it was thanks to Ardeth's support. Femi shifted her lazy arm and laid her fingers over Ardeth's elbow. It was a frail token of her praise and valuing.

Ardeth spared one last glimpse at Femi's black, curly head. The two of them sat in a reflective silence, appreciating each other's company and touches, and just enjoying the tranquillity whilst they could. For they both knew, despite Ardeth's generous words, that things would be turning a lot more dangerous up ahead.

"Wait!" Meela suddenly barked through the serenity.

Her followers tugged upon the reigns of their camels and gathered behind her obediently. Femi slowly sat upright as Ardeth kicked the side of his camel to catch up to them all; he couldn't risk any suspicion. Meela rested her flat hand across her brow and stared out at the romantic sky attentively. She was searching for something...

Femi, now sitting up properly, looked around confusedly and scanned the sandy dunes around her for anything. What exactly were they waiting for? Ardeth, however, was becoming all the more cognisant as he noticed the faraway sky gradually turning lighter and lighter; the sun was rising. He knew all of this. He had seen it a many times before. And just as the dark, magical statures of the lost and destroyed city wavered into focus, he parted his exotic lips, and stiffened.

"Hamunaptra..." He exhaled.

Femi whipped her head round and bolted upright in alarm, "Hamunaptra??"

Meela smiled to herself and lowered her hand, "Don't get too excited, little girl. It's not exactly what it used to be..."

Ardeth glared at Meela's back as the memories flooded back to him. Meela released a feral little snigger and nudged her camel in the side, and it groaned out.

"Let's not waste anymore time, shall we? Femi's friends are expecting her!" She shouted out as she trotted onwards.

Femi gasped, her heart leaping into her throat, as Ardeth signalled for their camel to begin jogging. Her father... he was in Hamunaptra?

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A group of ten or more camels came bounding over a sandy dune and were hit by the passionate flames of the horizon. Their riders ordered them to onwards, and so they raced gallantly beside the wind, and snorted and gruffled loudly whilst enjoying their freedom.

And one of those riders, can you guess, was the one and only Alex O'Connell.

His green eyes were narrowed determinedly upon the sky ahead and he was gripping the reigns tensely in his fists. He bopped up and down effortlessly with the movement of his purring camel, oblivious to the calls that were catching up to him from behind.

"Aleeeex!" His uncle yelled.

Alex kept on going. He wasn't going to slow down for anything; Femi could be just a few more dunes ahead. However, his ignoring was pointless, as his uncle soon managed to gallop up beside him at his level and make his intentions clear:

"Alex, our camels need to rest!" Jonathan told him.

"We can't stop now, uncle!" Alex called back without taking his eyes off of the path ahead, "We're catching up!"

"We won't be for much longer unless you slow down, son!" Jonathan reminded him.

Alex finally tore his eyes away from the burning sky and looked over his uncle in consideration. Jonathan looked back and forth from his nephew and the sandy land that stretched out before them, his hair flapping about in the wind, and his eyes squinted protectively to avoid any sand getting in them.

"Come on, Alex!" He pushed further, "The poor beasts can't keep this up! We've been driving them all night!"

Alex snarled impatiently and whipped his head away. His eyes flickered here and there; he knew his uncle was right. Alex released a growl of conquest and pulled upon the reigns that were attached to the mouth of his camel. His means of transport snorted obediently and its galloping slowly transformed into jogging, then trotting, and then finally, walking...

Jonathan stopped right beside Alex and twisted round in his seat to look back at the rest of their crew. The Chief has, as Alex demanded, supplied them with twelve of his finest warriors and swiftest camels - but even the most noble of steeds needed to rest after racing for an entire night. It was just moving into 5am, approximately.

Carter was amongst the warriors. After falling unconscious in Alex's arms, he woke up not half an hour later, just as Alex and Jonathan were packing equipments for their journey. He leapt out of bed, fists drawn, and eyes sparkling with a thirst for revenge. Let's just say there was no way of convincing him that he needed to stay behind and rest.

Alex and Jonathan swung their right legs over the back of their camels, behind them, and jumped down onto the ground with ease. Well, Jonathan had _thought_ he'd managed it, but as soon as his feet hit the ground, the sand on the edge of the dune rearranged itself, and Jonathan fell down onto his back with a loud '_ouph_'. Alex would usually have snickered in amusement and helped him to stand again, but not now. Not when time was weighing down upon his shoulders, and worrying thoughts were flooding his mind. No. Not now.

Alex untied his water pouch from the saddle of his camel and unscrewed the corked lid to take a long drink. He then lightly gripped the jaw of his camel, pushing its head up, and held the faucet of the water bag to its lips and let the water flow. The camel soon realised what it was and took the neck of it into its mouth to lap it all up with its large, slimy tongue. Jonathan used the support of his camel to stand back up and turned his nose up at the sight of Alex feeding his own.

"I hope you're not going to use that again." He commented.

Alex didn't respond. He stared contemplatively out into the distance with a stale scowl across his brow.

"Their trails are disappearing," Alex randomly announced, "With the sun rising, the wind's picking up speed... They won't be left much longer."

Jonathan brushed himself down, "Ah, don't worry. We've followed their tracks this far - they're hardly about to change direction now, in the middle of their journey."

"... Maybe that's what they want us to think." Alex suggested.

Carter shortly arrived by Alex's side, wiping his brow, and sniffing casually to get rid of the tiny granules of sand that had settled at the entrance of his nostrils. He itched them with the back of his hand and then looked to Alex, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"How long are we stopping for?" He asked.

"As long as we can afford." Jonathan answered for him.

Alex looked over his shoulder and checked up on the soldiers who had joined their party. They were all doing the same as Alex, feeding their camels, and themselves, and stretching their muscly legs. Alex looked back up front again and bit the inside of his cheek decisively.

"A-Alex!" Jonathan chirped, upon seeing his nephew walk on ahead, "Where d'you bloody think you're strolling off to? A bar??"

"Get me a tequila." Carter grunted to himself.

Jonathan rolled his eyes and jogged along after him, "Hey!"

"Their tracks will be lost by the wind by the time we get moving again," Alex told him, "I'm going on ahead. You can catch up to me after the camels have rested."

"Alex, don't be rash, now. Just wait a little while!" Jonathan chuckled sheepishly.

Alex kept stubbornly staring ahead, "I've waited, uncle."

"Alex, listen to me, you're in the middle of the bloody desert! You can't just walk off and expect the best!" Jonathan laughed.

Alex suddenly stopped walking and turned to face his uncle; Jonathan watched him, relieved, "I've been here before, uncle. Stop treating me like a kid. I know you're older and a hell of a lot more experienced"-

Jonathan nodded appreciatively, and his eyes sparkled with false modesty, "Meh..."

"But I can look after myself. And right now, I'm supposed to be lookin' after the girl who's been snatched up by the only person I've ever wanted to actually god-damn kill," Alex barked maturely, "I'm sick uh' waitin' around. This is getting' far too outta' hand; I should never've let this happen to begin with."

Alex cursed to himself and ran his fingers through his messy, ash-blonde hair. Jonathan blinked calmly and slowly began to realise. He reached out, and clapped Alex's shoulder lightly, leaving his hand there.

"Don't be blaming yourself, Alex," Jonathan seriously told him, "From the beginning of our journey to this very moment, you've given it your all. And Femi knows that..."

Alex watched his uncle distantly. In a way, he appreciated his words by far, but what was he actually trying to say? _Femi knew that_? What was he implying?...

"Henak!" One of the men suddenly barked out.

Alex and Jonathan looked back to find one of them back on their camel, and pointing at arms length towards the horizon. They glanced curiously at each other, and both turned back round to share the answer with each other. And there, shimmering behind the heat waves, stood the remains of a forgotten City that made Uncle Jonathan take a few unstable steps forward.

"Bloody hell... it can't be..." He uttered.

Alex joined him, "Is that..."-

"Hamunaptra's grave." Jonathan nodded.

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Meela and her crew bounded down the slope of the last golden dune in their path and entered through a gap that appeared to once have existed as an entranceway through a surrounding, low wall, which now lay in shambles of stone bricks that were protruding from the sand. Femi gripped the rim of her dress anxiously whilst observing the remains of the lost city that she had dreamt about nearly all of her life.

Stone lay all around her, some still intact and suggesting that a construction once stood proudly in its place, and others, insignificant and simply lying irrelevantly in the dips and bumps of the ground. Their camel followed the others in a line and trotted through a stone archway which was still surprisingly holding itself; it possessed engraved hieroglyphics that Femi strained to read as they went under, but to no achievement.

"All in good time." Ardeth whispered to her.

Femi lowered her head and continued to inspect her surroundings. She felt as though she had entered a new world... a warm world... a world that was calling to her... Femi turned her head very slowly, as if fading into a dream, and watched the wide display of destroyed stone architecture blur its way back into health. Suddenly, there were tall, magnificent domes and tombs with all kinds of symbols and animals chiselled into its doorframes.

Ghostly, transparent presences of olive-skinned Egyptians wearing white cloths and robes were drifting across the holy sand. Femi watched, entranced and very dazed. This was the long lost Hamunaptra...

"Femi?!" A heavenly voice bellowed in amazement.

Everything suddenly returned to normality, and Femi looked away, blinking. The camel she sat upon was no longer running, but instead, had stopped, and lowered down onto one knee to aid her dismount. Ardeth grabbed her roughly by the arms and heaved her off of the saddle so that she fell into the sand on her side. Femi glanced up at him confusedly, but soon remembered that he had to play the part of a heartless follower of Meela.

"Femi! FEMI!" That same voice shouted out.

Femi's heart contracted in so many senses. Excitement. Insecurity. Love. Sadness. Joy. All at once, and she couldn't govern them. She cocked her head round with a shrilly gasp, her eyes immediately watering, and there, chained to a nearby broken, stone cylinder the size of a house was the familiar, loving face... of her father.

"Daddy..." Femi whispered.

"Femi!" He shouted again, desperately trying to get to her.

"_Daddy_!" She cried.

Femi scrambled gracelessly up onto her feet and broke out into a passionate run towards her father. She needed him. Couldn't bear to be without him, suddenly. Hearts were supposed to hurt when they lost someone, but now, seeing him after so long and so much worry, Femi was overpowered by those injuries. Memories. Past scars that were beginning to sting again.

Femi was just metres away from reaching her father's open, chained arms when something wrapped around her feet and she crashed face-first into the rough sand. Her father roared out furiously, with two other voices that sounded somewhat familiar to Femi. She released a disappointed, aching sob into the sand and a yellow cloud puffed up around her face.

"No, now, Guardian. You seem to have forgotten the trouble that you have put me through on this fond little chase." Meela's vicious voice spoke out.

Femi propped herself up with her elbows and twisted round to look down at her feet; a black whip was wrapped around her sore ankles and binding them together. She couldn't move. Femi's dangerous eyes darted up to the dark figure of Meela as she approached her.

"Let. Me. Go!" Femi growled.

"And what would be the point in that?" Meela sighed, "You deserve to suffer a little."

"Let her go, damn you!" Femi's father demanded, "Let me hold my daughter!!"

Meela tugged upon the whip that she held in her hand and Femi winced. They were bruised, if more, cut quite finely.

"Chain her to the spare wall." Meela tiresomely ordered.

Femi was attacked by four of Meela's men and was pulled onto her feet and away from her father in a fit of screams. She struggled - god, did she struggle, but it was no good. She should have learnt that she wasn't strong enough by now, but that didn't stop her.

"Let me hold my daughter!" Brian repeated violently.

Femi's desperate, child-like eyes focussed upon her father's weak figure that was drifting further away from her, and she stomped her feet stubbornly into the ground to stand still. It was no use. Her hands were pulled behind her back and she felt her wrists become enclosed with the grips of rough, icy cuffs.

Meela's men released her, and her hands darted forwards with her as she tried to run, but she was yanked backwards so hard that she fell back into the ground again. Meela's laugh echoed around the small clearing.

"Don't go anywhere, now, will you, Guardian," Meela teased, "I won't be gone for long..."

Femi panted, hiccupping upon her own exhaustion and tears, and slowly scuffled round to sit up and look out at her father. He was positioned upon his knees now, crying subtly, and watching Femi longingly. Either side of him were Mr. and Mrs. O'Connell, who were both frowning venomously and sorrowfully.

Meela remounted her camel with most of her men and sent Femi one last, bitchy smirk before nudging it in the side, and cracking the reigns. Her camel groaned in response and ran off back through the archway with the ten other men following. Now, it was just Femi, her father, Evy, Rick, Ardeth, and three other men. The atmosphere was unbearable.

"_Daddy_...!" Femi called, quivering.

"Femi!" He replied, "Are you alright?!"

Femi nodded, her lips trembling, "I... I th-thought you were..."-

"No... No, Femi, no..." He sighed, trying to hold back his tears; in the eyes of a child, their parent was a hero, and Femi needed to look up to someone right now, "I kept my promise. I said I would come back to you."

Femi's emotions overpowered her strength and her head dropped with a sharp sob. Her insides trembled; she was happy and distraught all at the same time.

"Femi!" Rick called out, and she forced herself to look up, "Hey, doll... How ya' doin'?"

Femi fought the urge to cry again and nodded subtly, "... Ok..."

"Yeah? How's my kid?" He asked.

Femi, strangely, found herself smiling delicately, "He's fine... Really fine."

Rick smiled in relief and lowered his head to reflect. He looked past Femi's father at his wife and shared a loving smile with her. Their son was alright.

"And my brother??" Evy gasped.

Femi released a petty little scoff, "Yes, he's perfectly safe as well..."

"Good old Jonathan." Evy trembled, sniffing back her tears.

"I'm so proud of you, Femi..." Brian told her, "So very proud. You and your brother... You've come so far... just... look at you."

Femi laughed pathetically through another gentle weep and rolled her eyes at herself, "Look at me..."

"... My angel." He corrected her.

Femi leant forwards and sent a pining, pensive smile to him. He nodded considerately, proudly... gratefully. His children were alive, and unharmed.

And yet, meanwhile, as the two relatives appreciated each other's company, on the far other side of the ruined City...

Meela brought her camel to a strict stop near the edge of the tall, strong cliff. One of her loyal followers parked up next to her and stared out over the stretching deserted beneath them. Meela lifted her hand and clicked her fingers demandingly, and her servant quickly whipped out a pair of black binoculars and handed them over to her. She snatched them up greedily and hurriedly held them up to her eager eyes.

"Well... hello there, little boy." Meela purred.

Through the magnifying glass of the lenses, her hungry eyes locked upon a single figure jogging through the sand. All by himself. No weapon. No water. Just himself and his shadow racing across the desert, straight towards the horizon.

"He's a quick one," Meela commented, lowering the binoculars, "Foolish, but quick."

"Your orders, your grace?" Her servant complaisantly asked.

Meela shook her head, "We wait..."

"Your eminence?" He questioned.

Meela snickered at him, "_Ignoramus_... Did you not hear a word of what I explained last night?"

Her servant froze, nervous. Meela rolled her eyes and threw the binoculars into his lap.

"This is exactly what we want... He took the bait and now, he's bringing his entire little gang along with him," Meela narrowed her devious eyes at the shadow of the group that was quickly catching up behind Alex, "Soon, I can get rid of those little insects. I'm fed up of them constantly popping up and getting in the way of my intentions. This is taking me far too long already..."

Her follower bowed his head, "Genius, your worship..."

Meela smiled smugly, "I know."

Meela watched Alex's' friends arrive in his presence, and they all stopped. She purred a delighted, bloodthirsty chuckle to herself and flicked her hair over her shoulder. In her point of view, everything was about to become a lot more "_interesting_".

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**_Author's Note_**: _Seeing is this is my first experience of writing and posting a fanfic on here, I'm not quite sure how it works, but I've noticed a sudden decrease in reviews from my readers. Are you growing bored of the storyline? Or my writing techniques? Whatever it is, let me know, and I'll try to adjust for your entertainment!_


	47. Hunted Through Hamunaptra

A small flock of vultures soared round in a constant, patient circle above Hamunaptra's grave, producing long, daunting squawks and croaks. Femi stared up at them emotionlessly with her innocent eyes, where tears were beginning to dry.

"Dirty buggers." Femi heard her father spit.

She calmly looked over at him and saw him glaring at the vultures. She sniffed and shifted her numb feet out from beneath her, and looked round at her strained, sore wrists. She decided it was a good idea to scoot backwards a little to give her some freedom on the chains, and the shade from the large remains behind her was a bonus. Her bare shoulders were beginning to blush.

"Hey," Rick suddenly grunted, attracting everyone's attention, "It's boiling out here - you want us to die of thirst?"

The three of Meela's followers looked around at each other in thought. Surely they wouldn't deny them a drink?

"I doubt Meela would be very impressed if, upon her return, she found us unconscious from your negligent treatments..." Evy wittily snipped at them.

Her words had a great effect upon the men, and they wandered about for a few minutes until finding some water in a black pouch. One of them walked towards Rick with it tightly held in his hand, and when he was within a few feet of his reach, he cautiously stopped, and held it out to him.

Rick rolled his eyes tiredly, "Come on, you can't expect me to reach from here, buddy... my hands feel like they're gonna' fall off..."

The man ignored him, "Take it."

"Buddy, I'm telling ya, if I could, then I would," He sneered, "Look, I know you're a follower of Meela and everything and you've gotta play up to the role of a heartless, mean crook - but no one's watching. Come on, just a little closer...?"

The man glanced away unsurely. Rick held his ground and locked his deceiving eyes upon his target the entire time. Femi sat upright, anxiously watching, whilst her father and Evy played it cool, for whilst all of this was happening, Ardeth was secretly easing his way over to one of the remaining camels. Once he reached it, he pulled out a long, black rifle that was hiding away in one of the sockets, beneath a thick rug of comfort. Oh, god, Femi had forgotten all about those wicked inventions; the last time she was around one, was when Meela kidnapped her from Erk's boat. Aw, Erk... Femi suddenly wondered how the big lug was, at that exact moment.

The cutting explosion of fast, sharp _bangs_ echoed around the graveyard and stole Femi out of her contemplative thoughts. She screamed and pulled her hands to her ears protectively whilst watching the 3 remaining servants of Meela fall to the ground, arms flailing, and heads lolling back. They crashed into the ground and clouds of sand swirled up around their dead bodies as to bury them. The vultures soared lower to the ground.

"Ardeth!" Evy exclaimed beautifully.

Ardeth tore the thick wrap from around his handsome head and threw it to the ground proudly. He then ran across the clearing with the gun in one hand and skidded into the dirt upon his knees beside Femi.

"Sorry I took so long." He panted, almost playfully.

"Hurry, Ardeth!" Evy gasped, "Those gunshots will have been heard from miles around!"

Evy was right. Femi, lowering her hands from her throbbing ears, tried to find something to say through her shock... nothing came to mind. Ardeth nodded determinedly and stood back up, cocking his rifle.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait!!" Femi cried and held her hands out defensively.

Ardeth smirked, "I'm not going to shoot you, Femi. Trust me."

With that, he positioned the gun under his arm, and aimed it towards Femi. Femi whipped her head away fearfully and covered her head with her arms-

_Bang bang bang_

The chains keeping Fem in captivity broke apart with a sharp _ping_. Femi snapped her doubtful eyes open. What had happened? She looked around cluelessly and suddenly understood; she was free. Well, her wrists were still trapped within the cuffs, and a chain of at least 2 metres in length trailed from each one, but she was still able to leave her post.

"Come. Quickly." Ardeth uttered and held his hand out to her.

Femi snatched it up in an instance and Ardeth helped her to stand. Together they turned, and raced across the sandy clearing to greet the others. Femi literally fell down onto her knees before her father and threw her arms around him with an impassioned weep.

"Oh, my angel..." Brian exhaled, embracing her with every inch of his soul.

Femi smelt his scent. Felt his heartbeat. Melted into his strong, protective arms. Her daddy... finally, she was with him. Whilst the two of them appreciated each other's company, Ardeth placed two fingers into his mouth and created a loud, piercing whistle that swam up into the sky.

"I missed you so much." Femi whispered and leant back to smile at him.

Brian wiped away one of her tears with his thumb, "Now, now, no more tears. I'm here now."

Femi nodded and wiped her eyes dry. Ardeth laid his hand across his stern brow in protection against the sun to await his trusty sidekick. And right on queue, through the swarm of hungry vultures, appeared a swift, dark Kestrel that was soaring downwards to the sandy ground to meet Ardeth. However, the greedy vultures spotted the vulnerable creature and all squawked out determinedly, turning, and started swerving out into its path to try and snatch up the speedy bird in their claws. Ardeth scowled and cocked his gun.

_Bang bang bang_

Femi and her father jumped, looking up; the vultures screeched and turned away, allowing the intelligent Kestrel to escape. Ardeth held his arm out and welcomed the grey bird with a frail smile. He immediately pulled out a small, folded piece of ratty paper from inside his belt that had a small length of string attached to it, and wrapped it around the birds claws.

"Fly swift, little bird." Ardeth whispered, and threw him back up into the air again.

Ardeth watched his companion fly up above them all, sounding out a loyal shriek.

"What did you say?" Rick asked.

Ardeth looked down at everyone, "I told 'dem to bring more soldiers..."

Femi glanced worriedly at her father; did that mean they were going into battle? Ardeth positioned his gun again and shot a number of vicious bullets at the chains connected to Evy and Rick; Brian and Femi looked over to see them standing up happily. They hugged each other lovingly, pecking each other on the lips, and thanked Ardeth with gracious smiles.

"Your turn." Ardeth nodded to Femi's father.

Brian nodded right back at him and kissed Femi on the forehead before letting her go. She reluctantly stood up and backed away from him; it felt as though she was losing him again. She hated it. Ardeth posed, positioned, and pulled the trigger. The gunshots echoed to the sky again, and the vultures were finally scared off. Femi came to her father's side and helped him steadily stand up. He smiled gratefully at his wrists.

"Are we all ready?" Ardeth asked.

_Bang bang bang_

Ardeth's face twisted in agony and he clutched his injured side with a loud growl. Femi squealed and jerked away with her father, as did Rick and Evy; who was shooting at them??

"Oh, and the party was just getting started." Meela whinged from the back of her camel.

She had returned, to their surprise, with the rest of her men who were lined up beside her. Meela glared at the group of escapees, particularly the wounded Ardeth, who was glowering at her from his weak crouch upon the ground.

"I must admit, Ardeth," Meela sighed, "You even fooled me."

"You sound surprised, Meela." Ardeth grunted through his gritted teeth.

Meela rolled her eyes, "I don't have time for petty insults. Get them - and I give you permission to place a few bullets where it won't kill them."

Meela's servants slapped and kicked their camels in the sides, and they charged off towards the small group. Rick leapt out beside Ardeth and wrapped his arm around his shoulders. 

"Come on, buddy, it's time to go." He announced, lifting him.

"Run, Femi!" Brian yelled at her.

Femi panicked for a moment and just stood there, looking around at everyone. Her father then resorted to roughly spinning her around by the shoulders and pushing her onwards.

"GO!" He shouted.

Femi didn't need telling more than twice.

She broke out into a run as fast as she could go with the idea that her father and the others were right behind her. She looked over her shoulder; they were only _just_ beginning to flee.

"Hurry!" Femi cried.

_Bang bang bang_

Bullets bolted into the sandy ground just inches away from her feet and sent small sprays of sand into the air. Femi squeaked frightfully, jumping here and there, and whirled round to continue running; her father and the others had now separated, and were running off into the maze of Hamunaptra's graveyard. Gosh, this was becoming a complete mess.

Femi was already feeling out of breath as she leapt over the corner of an intruding block of stone that was sticking out from the ground. She could hear gun shots echoing from other areas in the lost city, but didn't dare stop. Her head swished left and right in her attempt to try and spot her father or the O'Connells, but they were nowhere to be seen in between the gaps of the passing remains.

Femi skidded around the next corner and threw herself back against the tall, triangular block to rest. She panted heavily and released a raspy, ticklish cough from all the sand she had breathed in.

_Bang bang bang_

She jumped to herself and brought he tips of her fingers to her dry lips. Camels grunting, Meela's men yelling, guns shooting - all of them, dancing around her, misguiding and herding her towards the wrong directions.

"'Dis way!" A man roared nearby.

Femi gasped. She darted out from her hiding place and ran off up the uneven pathway. The sand shifted beneath her feet, making it hard for her to keep up a steady pace, and the chains dragging behind her that were attached to her wrists kept catching on the rocky ruins.

"Come _on_!" Femi gnarled out loud as she tore her right-handed chain free from another snag.

Femi lost her balance and fell down into the sand on her back. She was just about to get up again when she heard camel hoofs gallop up the slope behind her, from her right, towards her left. She pressed herself back into the dune behind her and held her breath.

"You go 'dat way. You, come wid' me." One of the men ordered.

The camels grunted in response to their passengers' orders and Femi heard them canter off in their specified directions. Femi released a long, heavy breath and rolled over onto her front to crawl up the slope. The coast was clear. Biting anxiously upon her bottom lip, she made to move up onto the unintentionally created roa-

"_AAHH_!" Femi cried out in pain.

From her wrists, her arms were suddenly jerked behind her in a terribly awkward position, and Femi was pulled back, yet again, onto the ground. She groaned painfully as the sockets of her shoulders throbbed, bruised.

"You can't run, and you can't hide either." Meela sneered.

Femi rolled onto her front with her hands stretched out above her head and looked up, strained. Meela let out a bitter little laugh and gripped onto the chains with both fists and gave a ferocious tug upon them both. Femi's wrists were under tremendous pressure and she was forced to rise up onto her weak knees and scurry along with Meela's force. Meela gritted her teeth and tugged again; with each pull, Femi was tumbling further up the dune towards her. This had to stop!

Femi's confidence exploded within her chest like billions of beautiful butterflies and she locked her fingers around the chains joined to her wrists and pulled back. Meela was caught off guard by the sudden defiance and was thrown forwards under the force and nearly slipped upon the edge of the hillside. Meela, hunched over, flicked her head up and rid her hair from her eyes; they connected with Femi's, and they glared challengingly at each other.

"_FEMMIII_!!" Jonathan's terrified, cracking voice yelled out.

The two of them looked over to see that exact person sprinting towards them with his face strained, petrified, and his eyes wide and alert.

Femi blinked rapidly, "Jonathan?"

What was _he_ doing there? And then, to add to the element of surprise, Carter unexpectedly sprung out from behind a tall, stone rectangle and leapt over an upcoming ditch in his path, his arms swinging outwards, and his brown head darting left and right wildly.

"Carter??" Femi exhaled in excitement.

"Urgh!" Meela snorted, and suddenly pulled on Femi's chains again.

Femi grunted as she was dragged up the hillside some more. She tried to fight back, but felt so weak. Her arms were aching, as were her thighs, and she was at a loss of breath already. Yet, all of a sudden, the two gentlemen who had conveniently arrived not just a moment ago, ran inwards to the same path, where they cantered side-by side, and leapt over the obstacles in their way which were leading straight to Meela. One tripped, and collided into the other, and the two men became tangled up and performed a number of forward-rolls down the dune, colliding straight into Meela, pulling her along with them. Femi watched, eyes wide, hands spreading, and prepared herself...

Meela, Jonathan and Carter landed around Femi and sprawled themselves out in a faint daze of vertigo. Femi hurriedly leant down to pull her older brother up onto his feet, but to her dismay and annoyance, Meela's hand came out of nowhere and grasped onto her hair very viciously. Femi screamed and was forced down onto her knees right beside her, where she received a harsh slap across the face. Cat fight, or what!

But as Femi rolled onto her side from the force of Meela's strike, a revengeful anger boiled up within her chest, and her eyes shimmered dangerously. This was Femi's chance to teach this woman a lesson. Femi backed up onto her knees and threw her chained wrists down into Meela's stomach; Meela winced violently as the wind was knocked from her diaphragm.

Femi raised her hands above her head to strike her again, but Jonathan and Carter were suddenly behind her, and grabbed a hold of the chains of her cuffs to stop her.

"Come on, Femi!" Carter exclaimed.

Jonathan wrapped his arms around Femi's sides and literally had to drag her away from Meela's weak body. When they were far enough, Femi returned to her normal self, panting and growling angrily still, and ripped Jonathan's arms away.

"God, that felt food." Femi heaved.

"Yeah, that's great, but we're about to die." Jonathan tactlessly reminded her.

Femi looked up; Meela's men were evidently visible in between two, stone pillars that towered into the sky at slanted angles. Femi's heart leapt into her throat fearfully and she allowed Jonathan and Carter to pull her away.

"_Ruuuuuun_!" Carter wailed.

The 3 of them turned into a wide, sandy passageway and ran alongside each other as fast as they could. Meela's servants galloped into view behind them, slapping the hinds of their camels with ambitious swatters, and kicking their sides hungrily. Jonathan peered over his shoulder and his face paled completely.

"If I don't survive this, I want you to know, I've always found you terribly attractive, Femi!" Jonathan stupidly yelled.

"Shut up, Jonathan!" Femi cried, "You're not going to die!"

"Yeah, shut _up_ Jonathan! That's my baby sister!" Carter protectively agreed.

The 3 of them steered around the corner at full speed in hope that there would be some sort of hiding place for them. But no. Of course not. When had the twists and turns of their journey _ever_ favoured them? Never, and especially not now, according to the startling impediment that popped up in their pathway, involving camels, guns, and angry men...

"Oh dear." Jonathan piped up.

The three men all chuckled in an imperious manner and looked left and right at each other, as to express their dominance over the other 3. Femi gulped and reached out her hands to grab Jonathan's and her brother's. Meela's 3, barbaric servants stopped laughing abruptly, faces paling venomously, and they kicked their camels in the sides with loud yells of ambition.

Femi jumped back and steered to the right with Cater and Jonathan linked to her hands. They leapt over a tall, sandy mount that had formed under the strength of the wind over many days in between two tall, stone skeletons of the dead city and landed strongly upon their feet. They ran onwards, and merely seconds after their progression, 3 gracious camels jumped over the insignificant hump and started galloping up behind them.

"Run faster!" Femi shouted.

Carter and Jonathan were putting all their might into their sprinting, and Femi was clutching their hands so tightly that they were beginning to turn numb. There was a dead end up ahead - a brick wall. They had to break apart. Fem reluctantly disconnected with the two boys and skidded round to her left behind Jonathan, and Carter steered the other way to meet them on the other side. What they didn't expect, however, was an immediate hillside awaiting them.

Femi screamed and slipped down onto her back, Jonathan gulped and rolled to his side, and Carter just fell straight-forward, head-first over the edge of the large dune. But nonetheless, they all ended up rolling and tumbling roughly down the hill no matter how hard they strived to keep themselves positioned upright.

Femi crashed onto the flat ground and performed one last forward roll to gather up more speed and shoot up onto her feet, covered in sand. She looked around cluelessly and could only see more ancient brick work all around her, yet over her shoulder, she noted the 3 camels skidding down the hillside towards them all.

"Keep running!" Femi yelled, and yanked them both up from the ground.

They were confused and rather discombobulated, but followed nonetheless. Their path led them through another wonky gateway, this one much smaller, and past a number of random blocks that were protruding up from the ground here and there. Femi heard the hoofs of the camels and looked back to see smears of beige and black dashing past the gaps in between the pillars. They were hunting them.

Carter, Jonathan and Femi reached the end of the course and went to turn left, but were stopped by the grunting arrival of one of the large camels.

_Bang bang bang bang bang _

They all screamed as the sand shot up in sharp spurts around their feet. They turned, slipping on the sand, and waving their arms out, and headed off along the path to their left. The land cut off a few metres ahead and had evolved into a small lip of sand that towered over the lower plane of ground. Femi braced herself and the boys either side of her snatched up her hands.

"Ready!" Jonathan gasped.

They arrived at the edge. The soles of their feet compressed mightily against the unreliable, rocky ledge.

_They leapt_.


	48. Door of Destiny

**_Author's Notes: _**_Laughs sheepishly at her audience You must see me as the **most **unreliable author, really! I have, yet again, completely missed out one of the chapters of the story. Thanks to one reader who pointed it out to me in the review - you know who you are! I went away on holiday just after updating so I've only just realised now. Sorry, it's a confusing explanation so I'll save you the boredom. I just hope you're not too angry with me! Lovely reviews from all of you on the kiss scene; I really enjoyed writing that one. You're all so nice to me _

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_"Ready!" Jonathan gasped. _

They arrived at the edge. The soles of their feet compressed mightily against the unreliable, rocky ledge. They leapt.

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Femi, Carter and Jonathan felt their hearts squeeze, exhilarated, "AAHHHH!"

Femi felt her stomach rise inside of her and create a sharp and uncomfortable pierce through her torso. She plummeted downwards, and _crash_ -- landed into the sand in a complete tangle with Carter and Jonathan. Femi and the boys, groaning and hissing, pushed themselves off of each other and stood easily, this time without as much struggle. And just as the camels jumped from the miniature cliff behind them, they were holding hands and running again.

A figure broke out from behind a passing element of ruin and collided straight into Jonathan on Femi's left. Jonathan spared an excited glimpse at the newcomer and beamed, relieved.

"Brilliant timing, sonny!" Jonathan laughed.

"What would you do without me, huh, uncle?!" That cocky, delicious, aggravating, deep, _sexy_, challenging, comforting voice of no other than Alex O'Connell snickered breathlessly.

Femi broke out into a delighted smile and looked past Jonathan, "Alex!"

_Bang bang bang bang bang bang _

The sand around them flung up in sharp sprays. They leapt, hopped, spun and stumbled, and finally arrived behind the protection of a temporary shelter. Femi danced past Jonathan and Carter as they panted, leaning against the wall, and wiping their brows, and she charged straight for Alex. He was, currently, busy fiddling around with the large rifle he had managed to steal as to check that it contained a reassuring amount of bullets, but Femi had other plans.

She crashed into him with a loud laugh and Alex staggered back, accidentally dropping the gun. He blinked in surprise for a moment until accepting her, and smiling gently, sliding his arms around her back.

"You came..." Femi whispered against his shoulder.

Alex smiled to himself and placed a hand against the back of her head, "Well what did you expect, huh?"

"But," Femi panted, and looked up at him confusedly, "How did you know where I was?"

Alex smirked at her, "Hey, this is _me_ we're talking about, lady..."

Their eyes connected and Femi felt a warmth spread through her. She had felt it so many times before when around Alex, but shortly, and almost unperceivable, unlike that specific moment. Alex stared down at the ambiguous woman before him; _god_, it felt good to have her back with him... Alex's rough, grubby finger tips brushed back a wild curl of Femi's fringe and tucked it behind her little ear. She blushed.

_Bang bang bang bang bang bang_

The sharp bullets jolted and darted into the weak wall and a few bricks crumbled away pathetically; there were already existing window frames in the wall, but now, they were only getting bigger. Femi and Alex turned away from the explosions of rock and Alex covered her with his arms protectively.

"I'm so bloody _tired_ of being shot at!" Carter snarled.

Alex and Femi looked back when they felt it was finally safe, and spotted Meela's men slipping down from their camels to approach their hiding location, and holding their guns tightly. Alex nodded to Femi and she reluctantly allowed him to let her go and ease himself up against the wall. He cocked his gun. Femi crouched down beside her brother. Jonathan's head darted left and right in a panic. The continuation of the battle was just beyond a brick wall... drawing closer... and closer... and-

_Bang bang bang bang bang bang bang_

One of Meela's servants accidentally clutched the trigger of his gun throughout his sudden desperation to escape the fierce arm that wrapped mercilessly around his neck. The trail of his bullets steered upwards and coincidentally shot up the side of one of his partner's' legs, who screamed out in agony, falling to one knee, and left the last standing man to whip around abruptly.

Alex took his moment.

He leapt out from behind the wall and charged at his enemy without an inch of hesitation. Meela's follower stared at his two partners wide-eyed, shocked, and stood blankly as he tried to register exactly what was happening, but by then it was too late.

"Arrghhh!" Alex grunted, leaping into the air.

The black-clothed man spun round worriedly and was just about to fire his rifle when Alex knocked him to the ground and straddled him, where he began inflicting continuous, deadly punches. It wasn't long before he gave up and fell unconscious beneath his weight. The noises emanating from the fiery course of combat drew Femi up onto her knees and she peered cautiously over one of the sandy window ledges to watch the scene take place.

Alex, at that very moment, removed himself from the senseless body beneath him and suddenly charged at his targeted antagonist who was busy clutching his destroyed, blood-drenched leg and wailing wildly to himself. Femi felt her stomach churn at the sight of her dashing hero cracking his elbow into the jaw of the helpless "assailant". The man yelled, flew back, and crushed into the dirt upon his back with his eyes shut. The man was out cold.

The other preoccupied hero who had conveniently barged into the scene tightened his grip around the neck of his victim. He struggled, and wriggled, and choked for air, but hardly succeeded. His eyelids fluttered in exhausted weakness and finally lowered over his bloodshot eyes, and the man fell limp under Rick O'Connells grip. He let him sink to the ground.

Alex turned away from his fulfilled intention and brushed his hands together. His eyes found his tall, well built father, and he paused slightly, eyeing him up and down. Rick smiled gently.

"Hey..." He calmly greeted him... "How ya been, Alex?"

Alex nodded awkwardly, "Ok..."

Femi slowly stood up using the wall for support and studied the relatives curiously. They were acting like... strangers.

Rick nodded enthusiastically and looked around at the 3 motionless men, "You did pretty good. Seems I taught you well."

Alex smirked and rolled his eyes, "I taught myself, dad."

Rick wasn't affected by his comment in a negative sense. His son was evidently strong, stubborn, and quick, just as he had hoped him to be. What more could he ask for?

"Yeah," Rick nodded placidly, "You did."

Jonathan and Carter finally realised that the fighting had drawn to an end and slowly ascended from the sandy floor where they had been cowering away. They spotted Rick and his son through the window; Carter glanced at Femi. She was deeply entranced by the scene that had already clearly unfolded itself. It was obvious that he and Jonathan had missed most of it.

Rick and Alex soon seemed to have endured the awkward, stubborn silence for as long as they both could, and finally decided to give in. They chuckled under their breaths as to express the pettiness of their attitudes and wandered over to each other, where they embraced their loyalty in a sharp bear hug. Femi smiled.

"It's good to see you, Alex." Rick told him, clapping his back.

Alex smiled reflectively over his shoulder, "You too, dad."

Jonathan was up on his feet before Femi could stop him, and he waltzed out into the open bearing a happy smile. Femi rolled her eyes (she wished that Alex and his dad had been left a little longer to reflect on each other's company) and stood up with her brother. They both stepped out from behind the withering wall to watch Rick and Jonathan share a brief bear-hug.

"It's been too long, Rick." Jonathan sighed.

"Five days." Rick smirked.

Jonathan ignored his comment and patted his shoulder nonetheless, "Missed you too, brother."

Smiling happily at the sight of the reuniting, Femi walked towards the group of men, her brother behind her. Alex spotted her coming and smiled thoughtfully to himself. Rick suddenly noticed the new expression on his boy's face and raised a peculiar eyebrow at the pretty young lady. Could it be...

Rick's thought were diminished, and his expression iced over. Femi was wandering happily towards them with no idea of what was racing up behind her.

"Femi!" Alex suddenly cried out.

Femi's smile washed away and she spun around to see what the warning was for. And there, galloping towards her was a group of Meela's followers baring mighty swords and guns and glaring determinedly at them all. Femi gasped fearfully and put all of her might into turning, and breaking out into a run. As she approached the group, Alex and Rick positioned themselves beside it each other and cocked their guns at the exact same time. Accordingly, they both blinked in unison and looked down at their guns doubtfully, and then at each other. They were out of bullets.

Rick threw the useless weapon to the ground, "Well, I guess running seems to be a valid option right about now!"

"It always works for me!" Jonathan added, turning.

Femi ran into the group and her hands were snatched up by Alex's, of course. It was just a natural reaction for both of them, to go to each other, rather than anyone else. Why was that? Rick had noticed already.

"Come on, don't look back!" Rick ordered.

Alex was inches ahead of Femi and pulling her along behind him. Her legs were wagging so fast that she felt as though she was flying.

- bang

The bullets darted into the sand all around them and flung off of the dying stone constructions either side of their path. The group jerked here and there and leapt and spun round in their attempts to avoid the spiteful golden pellets. But no matter how skilfully they managed to survive being hit, their running just wasn't fast enough, and the group of men soon came galloping up right behind them all. None of them had noticed their presences until, all of a sudden, Femi felt a pair of greedy hands grab around her waist and she felt herself lift off from the ground. She screamed.

"No!" Alex yelled angrily.

He attempted to lash out and try to get her back, but the camels speeded on by effortlessly. Femi lay folded over the camel's hump and was kicking her legs like a spoilt child. She was becoming slightly winded from the bone of the camel's back digging into her stomach with each gallop. She watched the sand flash by and frowned angrily at herself... She was so sick of being kidnapped. So tired of being defenceless and helpless. So _had enough_ of being nothing but a nuisance and a damsel in distress.

**No - more**.

"No more!" Femi yelled.

Suddenly, she pushed herself back with her hands, and flung her head up. It cracked into the nose of the man who had kidnapped her and he lost all concentration and wobbled about in his saddle as he tried to stop the bleeding of his nose. Despite the consequences of a bad landing, Femi slipped off of the camel's back and freely fell back onto the ground, where she took off down a passing sandy hillside in many backward rolls and flips, and screaming loudly.

She landed harshly upon her front into the hard ground and groaned to herself.

"Femi!" Alex's voice echoed out to her.

She lifted her dazed head and shook the sand from her hair. Alex came sliding and slipping down the little slope with the others appearing behind him, and he crashed to his knees on the ground beside her. His hands were at her sides and he pulled her up into an easy sitting position.

"Femi!" A new voice exclaimed.

Femi and Alex looked over hopefully and saw Rick just appearing at the top of the hill; a limping Ardeth was on his shoulder. Femi gasped, standing with Alex, and they met up with Carter and Jonathan whilst waiting for Rick and Ardeth to arrive. Of course, once they were nearly at the flat level of land, they ran over to them both to offer any assistance. Ardeth sank onto the ground and held his bloody side with a strong hand. He growled.

"He's been shot pretty badly." Brian panted.

He hugged his daughter and then the two of them turned to watch Alex examine Ardeth. Rick, Jonathan and Carter arrived at the bottom of the hillside and made their way towards the others - Rick moving a lot quicker than the others.

Rick knelt down next to his old friend and sighed angrily, "How d'you feel?"

"Like I need a drink." Ardeth chuckled, and then growled.

Carter and Jonathan were halfway there when, out of nowhere, a pair of strong, spiteful arms wrapped around their torsos and dragged them backwards. They both cried out and caught the attention of everyone else.

"No!" Femi gasped, shooting to her feet.

Carter and Jonathan gulped fearfully as a blade was held to their throats by each of their captives; Meela's men. Meela stepped up in between the two of them, smirking proudly, and holding a small gun to the side of Evy's head. Rick went to run forwards with Brian, but Femi and Alex grabbed onto their shirts and held them in place.

"Evy!" Rick snarled.

Evy shook her head at her beloved husband and son.

"Don't do anything stupid." She gasped.

"I am really getting bored with this game we've been playing. Time's _up_, and I have no patience left," Meela barked, "Give me the Diamond Heart, now, or they all die."

Alex and Ardeth glanced over at Femi. Her eyes swelled with tears and she shook her head, looking around at them all cluelessly. She didn't have it. She didn't have it!

... "They don't have it." Carter blurted out.

Meela narrowed her eyes at him in suspicion, "... And how would you know that?"

"Because," He gulped, "I had it. And it's not on any of us right now."

"Then were is it??" Meela growled.

Meela wasn't the only one waiting for the answer. Everyone's eyes were upon Carter.

"It's back at the village." He revealed.

Meela's stale eyes glared at Carter whilst her mind ticked away. Femi licked her dry, nervous lips, and clutched her father's shoulder from behind. Meela looked back and forth from Carter and Femi's group anxiously.

"Why should I believe you?" She snarled.

Carter bravely laughed, "Do-do you really think we're stupid enough, to come after you, and bring the one thing you're after _with_ us?"

Meela's eyes flickered around upon the sandy floor in embarrassment and anger. As the intense moment stole Meela into a deep concentration, Femi noticed a perfectly healthy gun lying on the floor by a large, stone boulder. Her heart fluttered, and her eyes darted back and forth from Meela and her men.

Very slowly, and very elegantly, Femi eased backwards. No one noticed - not even the two of Meela's men, who were engrossed in keeping a hold of Carter and Jonathan to impress their "queen". Femi licked her lips anxiously and crouched down somewhat... she eased to the side... slowly... _slowly_... tiptoeing... holding her hands out for balance...

Femi was just a few metres from their hope of escape. Femi tore her hungry eyes away from the gun to glance around wearily - and that's when she saw it. To her right, stood a crooked tomb. It was half the size of Erk's ship, and the corners of its rectangular structure had crumbled away... but it wasn't the shape or size of the construction that captivated Femi... it was the picture that had been carved onto the door.

A fox.

Tiny, with a drawn diamond upon its forehead. Its cat-like eyes seemed to be staring straight at Femi. Was it just a coincidence that this huge, stone chamber managed to survive the fall of this great City? Femi... doubted it.

Femi's dry lips parted in awe. Her eyes roamed the mighty door above her in wonder. Could this be... Was it possible? The fox in her dreams... had it been trying to lead her to this very door? And was it just a coincidence that this tomb was the _only_ remaining room or construction in the graveyard that was still in its full appearance?

"GIRL!" Meela barked furiously.

Everyone jumped and looked over at Femi. A bullet bounced off of the brick doorway just an inch beside her head and Femi staggered round to face the group with a sharp scream. Meela was glaring venomously at her, and the man on her right had his gun pointed straight at her.

"Femi!" Her father hissed.

"What are you doing over there?" Meela snarled, "Come here."

Femi hesitated. She pressed her back against the carvings behind her at feather-touch and stared vulnerably at Meela. She couldn't abandon the door, or else...

Meela's nose wrinkled aggressively, "I said come here!"

Alex clenched his fists, and Brian's nostrils swelled anxiously for his daughter's safety. Her health was hanging on a thin string of cotton. Anything could have damaged that...

"Are you deaf, girl?" Meela asked Femi.

Femi gulped bravely and pulled her hands behind her back. Everyone watched and waited intensely... heatedly... desperately...

But Meela's patience ran out.

Her face contorted with anger and she ripped the gun out of the hands of the man beside her. Alex's facial expression creased in complete alarm, and he darted his eyes over to Femi. Meela mounted the gun on her shoulder and aimed. Femi's chest swelled fearfully. Brian clenched his feet and ran at Meela with all his might - she jumped and swung the gun round to aim at him, but just a second before the pulled the trigger, he shoved the gun upwards and the bullet propelled into the sky.

The sudden uproar startled everyone, however, and Meela's authority over them all had vanished. The group members scattered as a new, small fight commenced, and Alex ran towards Femi with an intention of taking her elsewhere. He came towards her, and Femi used the wall behind her to help her move forwards.

The palm of her hand squished against the fox.

Something grinded behind her, as stone would upon stone, and she felt the sand beneath the heels of her feet flooding away. She couldn't move forwards; the force was pulling her backwards. Alex's expression was deeply startled, and he reached out to grab her hand, one of the chains connected to her wrists wavered up into his range. He grasped it inseparably. The door behind Femi rotated in a full 180 degree turn and the two of them fell away into the darkness, yelling in alarm.

"Alex!"  
"Femi!"  
"NO!"

The voices of their companions back on the earth surface echoed through the minute gap in the door, and when it closed again, all sound was cut off. Alex and Femi hit the hard sandy ground and suddenly took off down a slide or slope at full speed beside each other on their backs. Their cries and the heavy slam of the door echoed around them as though they were in a large hall. Where were they? Where did the slope lead to?

What was to become of them both?


	49. Sandy Lips

_**Author's Note: **Wow, I think it might just be a certain moment that you've all been waiting for... I would much appreciate all of your reviews especially upon this chapter, as I've never really been that confident in my romantic writing. I could use all the feedback possible, even criticism flinches if you must! Thank you very much for reading :)_

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_The door behind Femi rotated in a full 180 degree turn and she and Alex fell away into the darkness, yelling in alarm. _

_"Alex!"  
"Femi!"  
"NO!"_

_Their cries and the heavy slam of the door echoed around them as though they were in a large hall. Where were they? Where did the slope lead to?_

_What was to become of them both?_

_----------------------------------------------------------_

Femi's stomach was twirling uncomfortably from the sensation of speeding downwards at such a fast pace. She was so engrossed in her panic and surprise that she hadn't noticed the strain on her wrist fade away - where had Alex's grip gone?

All of a sudden, Femi felt a sharp, rough ledge skid underneath her and grind against her spine painfully. She screamed out as she felt herself flying in the open air. It lasted no more than just a few seconds, before she smashed into the steady and, thankfully, spikeless or stoneless ground upon her back. It still hurt like hell, but at least she had finally landed.

"Urgh..." Femi groaned breathlessly.

She felt rather paralysed as she lay there on the hard, sandy ground. A smell in between musky wood and the salty beach filled her nostrils, although Femi knew that neither materials could exist down there. Her head pounded. Her back stung. And heavens, she was finally granted with oxygen again, and her chest rose up desperately. Her loud gasp echoed all around her and caught her attention; it must have been a big room...

Rolling onto her side, a few dry coughs erupted from the back of her throat. She knelt up on her knees and, from there, cautiously wavered up onto her feet. It was absolutely pitch black and made Femi awfully nervous. She couldn't see a thing - not even her own hands right in front of her.

"Alex?" She weakly called out.

Her voice danced around her. They were obviously in a room of some kind. But no Alex could be heard or seen, to Femi's dismay. Her breathing quickened as she began to panic. Femi turned her head left and right and blinked rapidly in a hope that her eyes would adjust to the darkness, but she found no success. She shuffled - or more like stumbled - backwards nervously and moved her hands around to try and feel something. Anything.

The chains attached to her wrists stroked along the sandy floor in a deep humming - but suddenly, the sound changed. As she turned, she heard them suddenly tinkle, as if they had run over a bump or a thin separation in the ground. Femi turned back round again and began walking towards the bold area of ground. Perhaps there was something there? Another door maybe?

Femi placed her left, unsure foot down and it came to rest upon some sort of miniature, long level. Before Femi could lift her foot again, it pressed down into the ground and disappeared. Femi gasped and jumped away aimlessly - she had no idea where she was going, but she wanted to be away from whatever it was she had just activated. Grumbling occurred within the walls, wherever they were, and the floor vibrated softly.

Femi brought her hands up underneath her chin like a terrified child and staggered here and there in a panic. Where was the sound coming from? Why was it even happening? What was going to happen??

Femi was practically on the verge of terrified tears when, out of nowhere, a ravenous flame burst into existence on the other side of the room. And just like that, one after the other, placid figures of fire erupted along the walls. Femi had obviously stepped onto a lever of some kind and a small flow of preserved oil was released from a higher station, allowing it to flood down into the moat that travelled around the circular room. Shap, Fwoff, Krrrah - one by one, the flames flickered into life in a continuous line and created odd sounds for Femi to nervously flinch at.

Once the dozens of flames were lit around her, Femi was able to observe her surroundings properly, and with careful detail. The room was rather large, and now glowing with a warm, mysterious glow from the flickering golden flames. The walls were a dark, cobweb-covered beige, and the ceiling - well, it was so high up that Femi couldn't even see it. She turned around and found herself peering up at a very steep slope that travelled all the way from the dark, imperceptible surface. That must have been how she and Alex had--

Femi gasped and her wide eyes dropped to the ground. **Alex**!! Spinning round, Femi scouted all around her until finally, and fortunately, they found their desired target.

"Alex." Femi whispered aloud.

Femi rushed to the center of the dingy room and dropped down onto the ground beside Alex's still body. She rolled him onto his back with a soft grunt of difficulty and then leant back to observe him. Femi winced at the sight of so much blood staining the side of his head. He had obviously knocked it quite hard on the way down.

"Alex..." Femi whispered nervously, and jogged his chest sensitively.

He didn't stir. Femi moved up onto her knees and leant over Alex to peer down at his hopefully sleeping face. She placed her trembling hand on the side of his bloody cheek and stroked it with her thumb.

"Alex, wake up. Wake up..." She gravely sighed to him.

She bit on her bottom lip worriedly and pressed the tips of her fingers to the side of his neck. Yes, there was a clear, throbbing pulse still pumping. Femi sighed in deep relief and lowered her head for a moment. But then she reminded herself that just because he had a pulse, it didn't mean that he was still unharmed. Brain damage. Coma...

Femi placed her hand on Alex's shoulder and shook it again, "Alex O'Connell, wake up this minute!"

His eyelids weren't jogging. They were stiff, suggesting that he was in a deep, distant sleep. Or worse... Femi felt hot tears stinging behind her eyes, and the chunks rising in her dry throat. Why wouldn't he wake up??

"Alex!" She gasped, "Alex, wake up! Wake up!!"

Her voice darted around the room in a lively manner and came straight back to where she and Alex were settled. Still, no response from Alex. Femi didn't know what to do. She was... struck.

Tears of guilt and sorrow rushed to Femi's weary eyes and blurred her vision. She shook her clouded head and placed her longing hand upon Alex's chest, and she lowered down from her knees to sit herself on the ground.

"Please, wake up..." She sniffed, "I'm sorry... it's all my fault... I shouldn't have snuck over to the door... I should have just... waited... All I ever do is drag you into trouble... Please, wake up... I'm so sorry..."

Several tears dripped from her jaw line and fell into the sandy ground beneath her, or upon Alex's shirt. She gazed deeply at Alex's sleeping, handsome face and felt her heart begin to sink.

"Please don't leave me..." Femi began to weep quietly, "I know we argue... I know we do... but... you have to wake up, because... because I need you... I need..."-

Femi broke out into breathless sobs and buried her head into Alex's chest, with her arms around her head. For the first time, ever, Femi thought she had felt something as strong as what a heart break could have been. Alex had grown on her so much... so much...

The room echoed with her whimpering and snivelling. Femi refused to lift her head from Alex for what seemed days. She cried until it felt as though there were no more tears left to spill, and resorted to simply lying there with her head on Alex. She turned her head and listened to his breathing.

"You can't leave, Alex... you can't give up so soon," Femi whispered, sniffing gently, "Life is... is all about defeating the obstacles in our paths... and although, sometimes, it may seem impossible, it never is... Alex, please, if you can hear me... come back... come back... If you don't... if you don't wake up... it... I... things will just..."-

"Just, what?" Alex's crispy, handsome voice suddenly whispered.

Femi's puffy eyes widened at the thin air, and her heart leapt with joy. She shot up from his chest and looked down upon his face; his eyes were open, and he was smiling expectantly at her.

"Alex!" She gasped.

Femi threw herself down to Alex and slipped her arms under his neck to hug him. Alex smiled lightly and wrapped his own arms around her back, holding her to him. Femi rested her forehead upon his shoulder, and Alex silently appreciated the warmth from her cheek upon his. Femi felt Alex's warm breath tingle against her ear and neck, and a strong warmth slithered down her body.

"You wouldn't wake up..." Femi whispered, "I was worried that you were-... I was frightened."

"Hey, I'm here now," Alex reassured her, "N' I feel as good as always."

Femi leant back and carefully helped Alex to sit upright. He brought his hand to the side of his throbbing head and grimaced tenderly at the sharp stinging that shivered in result. He glanced at his bloody finger tips, and smirked.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Femi uttered, "You seem to have hit your head rather hard."

"Accordin' to my eyes right now, there's only one of you," Alex tiredly announced, "And that's gotta' be a good sign, right?"

Femi smiled weakly and nodded to him. Alex began looking around the glowing, stone chamber very curiously, after he had acknowledged Femi's subtle relief.

"Where the hell are we?" He sighed.

Femi held her hands together guiltily, "I'm not sure... We fell from a high level, though, I know that. And -- I trod on some sort of pedal, or slab, and these flames suddenly burst up around the room... This place... it has been prepared."

"... Someone was expectin' company." Alex nodded meditatively.

Femi nodded nervously, "Which means that there must be a connection to this room - another chamber of some type. Why would there be a secret entranceway leading to the bottom of nowhere? It doesn't make sense..."

At that moment, Alex tore his eyes away from the scenery around him and looked back at Femi. They narrowed, thoughtfully, and he looked her up and down as thought she were a puzzle that he was solving. Femi glanced around uncomfortably and crossed her arms over her chest insecurely.

"What?" She snapped.

"How'd you know?" Alex quietly inquired.

Femi shook her head innocently, "Know what?"

"It's a secret entranceway," Alex repeated, "But you seemed to know exactly where and what it was..."

Invisible clouds of pressure weighed down upon the atmosphere. Femi avoided Alex's' scrutinising stare for as long as she could, until she realised that there was no escaping. Slowly, and hesitantly, she looked up at his patient face and held his gaze for a moment.

"Do you really need to ask that?" She whispered, "Isn't it obvious?"

"Your visions...?" Alex suggested.

Femi rolled her eyes and looked away, "Yes, you clearly know, so why make me admit to it?"

Alex blinked somewhat, perhaps guiltily, "Femi, I didn't"-

"Let's just try and focus on getting out of here, shall we? The conversation at hand is rather irrelevant." Femi snipped before he could finish.

Alex shifted up into a better sitting position with his hands, "Why d'you dismiss it like that? Like you're ashamed of it, or somethin'?"

Femi sighed and brushed her hands together, "I don't know what you're talking about - I just want to get back up there and make sure that everyone else is safe."

"Like that," Alex snickered, "I dunno' why you act as though what you've got's a bad thing."

"What do you know?" Femi suddenly snapped, eyes sharp, and hands against the ground.

Woah. Femi's defensive side was quick to reveal itself today, huh? But Alex accepted the challenge in her voice and expression, and leant towards her, extending a pointing finger at her.

"I know that, sometimes... sometimes... I... I don't think you deserve what you've got." Alex finally and, harshly, told her.

Femi was caught off guard by his bold reply. It embarrassed her, saddened her, but more than anything, **angered** her. Her nostrils flared and her alert eyes flickered all over Alex in offence.

"Well... that evidently justifies the fact that what you think and what you know are two completely different things, Mr. O'Connell," She snipped breathlessly, "The day that you have walked a mile in my shoes, is the day that you will ever have the right to claim such things at that."

"Ah, don't gimme' that," Alex waved his hand tiresomely, "You're doin' it again! Turnin' it around onto the other person because you don't wanna' confront it. This ain't about me, lady, this is aaalll about you. You're payin' me to guide you, remember?"

The bitterness in Femi's eyes softened. Alex watched, confused, and strangely regretfully, as she looked over his body and gradually composed herself. What was wrong, now?

"Yes. That's right. You're here because I **pay** you." Femi repeated; her voice was breaking at the back of her tight throat.

Alex closed his eyes to himself and lolled his head back guiltily as Femi gathered up the dark, loose fabric of her shall and scrambled angrily to her feet. Alex wished he hadn't said that.

"Oh, come on, you know I didn't mean it like that..." Alex sighed.

"Mr. O'Connell, you need not condone yourself to me. We are but in a situation of business - I hardly think that requires personal opinions and sentimentality." Femi coolly argued.

Alex rolled his eyes again and carefully stood up to his full height. Femi stood, still and silent, with a distant expression across her face. Alex stared intensely at her.

"Is that right." He rhetorically asked.

Femi nodded, clearly uncomfortable, "You said it yourself."

The two of them felt their pride and egos swelling nervously. They were just protecting each other's dignity; in a way, they were so much alike in the sense that they both hated losing, that the argument could possible have lasted forever!

"Yeah, I did," Alex stubbornly agreed, and clicked his tongue impatiently, "But seein' as all the cash got ruined in the ocean because you couldn't keep it safe, you're gonna' have to find another way of payin' me for my duties."

Femi gasped, "Well, excuse me, Mr. O'Connell, for not focussing all of my attention and energy upon money whilst trying to defend my own **life**!"

"Damn right," Alex scoffed, and strolled past her, "I agreed to bring you here, not constantly have to save you. It seems that everywhere we go, you just dig up more trouble - and wait a go Femi, here we are, yet again, stuck in another one of **your** problems."

With each word that came out of Alex's mouth, Femi's jaw dropped lower and lower, and her cheeks burned brighter and brighter. The cheek! This man had the audacity to turn around and complain?!

"I'll have you know," Femi heaved furiously, and stepped towards him, "When you agreed to guide us here, you knew exa"-

"Please, lady," Alex snickered and shook his head arrogantly, "I'm actually tryin' uh' find a way to save us both - as usual. So, would you mind zippin' it, just for a few minutes? It's hard to concentrate with all that childish yappin'. Maybe you could go **envision** somethin' for us, huh? At least then you'd be useful for somethin' other than screamin' n' whinin'."

Slap

Femi had done it before she even realised. But afterwards, as Alex's cheek became red, and sore, and Femi's heart contracted furiously in her chest, she regretted it immediately. Although what he had said was awfully hurtful, Femi was never the type to actually hit someone. It was an utterly irrational, belittling method of solving an argument; Femi was shocked at herself. She gasped and brought her finger tips to her lips.

"I... you... th-..."- She uttered.

Alex just stared at her, nonchalantly, indifferently, stiffly.

"I'm sorry," Femi whispered, horrified at herself, "I didn't know what else to do..."

Alex merely released a small sigh before turning away, and easing his way across the room to continue searching. Femi gulped back her nerves and rushed along behind him.

"Alex?" She called him.

He didn't reply. Femi stopped walking and stared at him from behind in hopelessness... and hurt.

"Why do you do that??" She gasped emotionally, "You wind me up to the point that I can't control myself, and then you make me feel so awful for simply reacting!"

Alex turned around and shook his head at her, "What, am I supposed to just stand there and put up with your crap? I'm human, too, ya' know."

"Crap?" Femi quivered, "And what 'crap' would that be, Mr. O'Connell?" She growled sadly.

Alex used his hands to help him explain, and he paced towards her, his face scrunched, "Just... you never think, lady. This world ain't all flowers and smiley faces. You can't keep tryin' uh' see the best in everyone. Lhukman could've got you killed - n' there you were, flirtin' n' dancin' with him as though he was your best friend. You're so damn naive."

Femi laughed mockingly and wandered to the left, "What on earth does that have to do with anything?! Lhukman **lived** in that village! He was only protecting his friends and family! What would you have done?!"

Alex held his hand out angrily and pointed at her, "Don't turn it round on me again. This is all about you, 'member? You're the Guardian. You're the one they're after along with the diamond heart. You're what this is all about"-

Femi suddenly burst into tears and her voice exploded in a passionate cry, "Do you think I don't know that?!?!"

Her voice echoed around the room and came to an end by slamming against Alex's chest. She inhaled a deep, wheezy breath and brought her trembling hands to her weeping lips. Alex just watched her, speechless. Had he really crossed the line this time?

Femi waved her hands out furiously, "Do you really think that I'm unaware of all that?! Well I'm not! I was holding up my responsibility to you all! What kind of a strong, determined person fighting for the good of the world constantly moans and complains about their position??"

Alex still didn't say anything. He just watched her, breathing silently, and gazing at her in deep, adoring, guilt. Femi pressed her hand to her heart and glanced away, as though ashamed.

"I never said a thing. I never once revealed how much I hated this... how nervous I am... and how amazing it all is... how magical... how terrifying..." Her descriptions evidently contrasted, but Alex understood them completely, "You tell me that I'm naive, Alex... and yet, you're the one standing there, assuming things, and judging things about me. You don't know how I feel at all."

Femi tried to hold a stern, angry expression, as she pointed at herself, but her tears kept pushing their way through. Her lips began to tremble and she was force to close her eyes, and bring her hand to her face, for comfort. Alex recognised the feeling inside of him. Every time Femi was sad. Every time she appeared so helpless and alone. He hated seeing her like this.

He went to step towards her, "Femi"-

"No!" Femi gasped, and held her hand out, "Don't say it to me, Alex. Don't try and justify anything that you just said... I couldn't care less about the petty insults and embarrassments - you just do what you do best, Alex; being unconditionally apathetic," Femi clenched her hands by her sides, "I'm not putting up with it anymore! We were brought together to save the world, not fight! You need to grow up!"

Alex went against her demand and started walking towards her. Femi shuffled backwards, but he caught up to her effortlessly. Femi started thudding her tender fists against his solid chest, crying and growling angrily.

"Stop, Alex! Get away from me!" She yelled, but Alex ignored her false words and commenced onwards, "I won't put up with your childish behaviour any longer! I try - I try so hard, and all you do is disrespect everything I do! Who on earth do you think you are?! I won't tolera"--

Alex's persistent, warm hands reached up to Femi's wet cheeks and held her in place. Femi felt Alex's body press against hers, and before she knew it, he leant down, and pressed his lips firmly to hers. All of the stubborn, dangerous grudges inside her chest faded away. The knot of rage disappeared, and she felt herself melting into... paradise. Alex smelt beautiful. He tasted divine...

Femi felt Alex's lips peel away, and her heart sank in disappointment. Alex stepped away from her and left her pouting, eyes closed, in a dreamy daze. He panted quietly to himself and watched her in the hush of his doubtful thoughts. And just when she slowly began opening her eyes, he turned away, rubbing the back of his neck, and cursed sharply under his breath.

"I'm sorry," He grunted, "I shouldn't've..."-

Alex cut himself off. But Femi was bewitched. From the second that his lips had met hers, there was no turning back. No, in fact, from the second that their eyes had ever met, in that car, outside The King of Spades, something new had started that couldn't have been stopped. Femi knew what she wanted.

"Yes you should." Femi exhaled passionately, opening her puffy eyes.

Alex blinked and turned around halfway to look at her, and found her rushing thirstily towards him. He turned fully around in time to meet her and welcomed her straight into his arms; her own eager ones wrapped around the back of his neck desirously, and she pressed herself to him. Alex hardly hesitated or held back in the slightest. One arm locked around her waist, and the other on her shoulder, and his hand pressed upon the back of her silky head. They were crushing into each other, madly. Femi leant up onto her tip toes and restarted the amazing kiss that she never wanted to end.

Alex was incredibly surprised by her actions - he was now just as enthralled as she was. The smell of her skin, the feel of her body against his. Everything about this girl just drove him wild. He couldn't contain his true feelings any longer, and quite obviously, neither could Femi. They expressed each other's affections for each other through their longing hands and their heated lips, and all the while, the flames along the ancient walls burnt strong and the sand coating the ground wasn't going anywhere. Here the two of them were, trapped in the middle of Hamunaptra, and the only thing that mattered to either of them was each other, and the moment they were sharing.

But, after what seemed forever, Femi and Alex finally brought their lustful kiss to a gentle end, and rested their forehead against each other's, as to hold the moment in time. Femi's eyes were still closed, and she was smiling magically, breathing softly. Alex watched her silently and brought a hand round to stroke her cheek.

"I would never judge you, lady," Alex whispered huskily, and Femi felt a warm tingle spread through her body as she felt his hot breath against her lips, "You ain't naive... You're gonna' be a hero..."

Femi's watery eyes fluttered open and a crystal tear rolled over her lashes, and began gliding down her cheek. Alex slid his forehead across hers so that his nose rested against her closed eye, and he caught the tear with his precious lips. Femi tightened her hands around the material of his shirt on his shoulders.

"You're my hero, Alex O'Connell..."

Alex leant his head back to look at her unsurely. Femi tilted her head up and gazed up at him with such adoration and pride that Alex felt as brilliant and worthy as the wealthiest of Kings. Just her smile... her voice... Alex smiled appreciatively at the beautiful creation in his arms and brushed her dark hair from her cheek. Their lips were just about to connect once more, when-

BOOOOOM.

The walls began to rumble violently, and sand and small crumbs of rock started falling from above them. The entire room was trembling. Alex wrapped his arm protectively around Femi's side and they both clung together apprehensively...

"Alex... what's happening...?!" Femi gasped nervously.

Alex tightened his arms around her protectively, "Stay close to me."

Alex eased her back against the wall and placed her behind him. She gripped the sides of his shirt and peered up over his shoulder worriedly. Alex looked around attentively and made sure to observe every detail... What was happening?


	50. She Breaks Through

_The walls began to rumble violently, and sand and small crumbs of rock started falling from above them. The entire room was trembling. Alex wrapped his arm protectively around Femi's side and they both clung together apprehensively... _

"Alex... what's happening...?!" Femi gasped nervously.

Alex tightened his arms around her protectively, "Stay close to me."

Alex eased her back against the wall and placed her behind him. She gripped the sides of his shirt and peered up over his shoulder worriedly. Alex looked around attentively and made sure to observe every detail... What was happening?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alex and Femi held each other tightly whilst waiting anxiously for the tremor to finish. The flames flickered and the walls continued to rumbled in such soft anger. Femi clutched Alex's shirt with both fists, her eyes darting about past his arm, and Alex stood his ground in front of her ever so protectively.

"Alex..." Femi shivered, as though praying for him to do something; he always did, he always saved the day... but perhaps, not this time?

Alex's eyes narrowed stressfully and he looked around the room in search for an idea of some kind. Anything. Just so long as it would keep them safe. _Femi_ safe. But what could he do? There was nothing to take shelter under, and no escape, so-

"aaaaaaaaAAHHH**HHH**!!" Two different-pitched voices grew louder and louder.

Femi lifted her chin from Alex's muscly upper arm and looked past him curiously. Alex's eyes flickered here and there. Those voices - he knew them, very well. As did Femi. They were coming closer and closer and echoing all around the room, even over the volume of the aggressive rumbling. In fact... was it just Femi's hope making believe, or was the thundering slowly... gradually... vaguely... softening?

"AAAAAHHHH! HEEELLLPP!!" An ever-so-recognisable voice wailed.

Just as Alex and Femi lifted their alarmed eyes to the air above them, two distresses figures came whizzing down the slanting wall on the other side of the room to them and came crashing into the floor and tumbled and rolled over and over until coming to twisted stops. The rumbling faltered. No more rocks fell. The vibration was dying.

"Uggghhh..." One of the men groaned wearily.

Femi gasped, and Alex straightened himself out, still holding an arm round Femi. Rick O'Connell and Jonathan Carnarvon. Both twisted across each other, weary, dazed and covered in sand.

"Dad?" Alex called out.

"Goodness!" Femi gasped and ran towards them with Alex right beside her.

Alex and Femi knelt down before them and, Femi taking Jonathan and Alex taking his dad, they helped them turn over and sit upright. Femi pouted sympathetically at poor Jonathan a she noticed the cuts across his nose, cheek and lip, and the bruise forming around his left eye. She gently stroked her finger tips through his fringe.

"Jonathan... what did they do?" She whimpered.

Jonathan just lay there in the hush of his own, guilty thoughts. Rick, on the other hand, used Alex for support and stood all the way up to his full height. The only sign of injury he possessed was the blood down his shirt - and it probably wasn't even his.

"Meela." Rick growled aloud, glaring at the ceiling.

"Dad, what happened up there?" Alex inquired anxiously, steadying his dad, even though he was more than capable of standing by himself.

"We got rid of Meela's men, and she was alone. We though we'd got her for good, but that witch's always got another trick up her sleeve..." Rick explained angrily, "Before we knew it, there were at least ten more. Horses and guns, the works. We couldn't win, but we had to try."

"... We couldn't take 'em," Jonathan added guiltily, "They took Evie, and Brian, and my old buddy Carter..."

"No..." Femi whispered, shocked.

"Ardeth isn't as weak as he's letting them think, though. They're all up there now, lookin' for a way to get through that door. They never saw how to do it, but I've got a feeling that it won't take long for them to find out." Rick sighed impatiently, glancing up above them all.

Alex pushed his dad away from him quite bitterly, "So what the hell are you doin' down here, huh?? Why'd you leave them up there like that? They need our help!"

"Alex," Rick grunted, "It was the only way. If we'd stayed up there then we'd all have been taken, and then who would be left to save anyone?"

"We would've saved you." Alex snapped.

There was an awkward pause between the father and son. Jonathan and Femi glanced uncomfortable at each other and pretended to be awfully interested in the sand beneath their bodies. Rick stared at his son, and Alex glared right back at him. Alex felt like his dad didn't trust him and was underestimating his strength...

"I could've saved you, dad." Alex repeated, a lot more sentimentally, this time.

Rick finally understood and, smiling tenderly, he clapped his son proudly on the shoulder and nodded. Alex allowed him to do so.

"I know, son," He agreed genuinely, "But you're my kid... it's _me_ who should be saving _you_."

It was more than obvious that Rick's fatherly words had gotten to Alex, but Alex would never admit. And so, clearing his throat, he nodded as casually as he could to his dad and nodded indifferently, as though he was just accepting, no emotion necessary.

"So now what? We're stuck down here." Alex sniggered, glancing at the flames upon the walls.

To answer his question, Rick simply turned his head and looked down at Femi upon the ground, who was still kneeling beside Jonathan and loyally holding him upright. Alex followed his father's strong, mysterious stare and his eyes also landed upon Femi's delicate form upon the ground. Her eyes were still drifting upon the ground, but Jonathan had noticed very clearly how they were now watching her. He blinked, unsure, and nudged Femi, who looked up at him very slowly.

"Um... I think it's back to you again, love." He whispered gently.

Femi blinked and turned her head to look over at the two handsome O'Connell's. The expression in Rick's eyes made her nervous, and fairly curious, but she knew that those eyes were expecting something from her. Femi looked to Alex, pleadingly, asking him not to pressurise her, and his eyes softened in sympathy.

"Meela wants you for your memory, doesn't she." Rick rhetorically asked.

Nonetheless, Femi answered, and with a stiff nod. She was still trying to avoid where this was leading...

"You were the Guardian in your past life. It's no secret anymore, kiddo. You came to this door knowing it would lead somewhere." Rick continued confidently.

Femi tore her eyes away from his, "I... I didn't..."

"We're not trapped here. You know we're not, and I know it. Because you knew where that door would lead you... and this isn't it. There's more to go." Rick nodded.

Femi shook her confused, throbbing head at the floor, "I don't know why I-... I can't just see it... it's... it's hard to explain..."

"Kid, I know it's not easy, but we're relying on you know. You've gotta' help us out of here, you see?" Rick softly supported her.

Alex looked up at his dad uncertainly; he was being bold, as usual, and rather brash. Maybe it was a better idea for Alex to take control? Yeah. Alex patted his dad on the chest and nudged his head towards Jonathan and Femi.

"Let me handle this. Just... watch uncle for a bit, ok?" Alex advised.

His dad mused to himself for a moment, but soon nodded, and removed his hand from Alex's shoulder. Alex wandered over to where Femi was sitting and bent down behind her, a little to the side, whilst Rick pulled Jonathan up and led him over to the wall where he could balance on his own. Femi was still staring intensely at the ground without having noticed anything around her. She was suddenly afraid, once more, of her gift.

"Femi." Alex tenderly cleared his throat.

Femi's eyes flickered away from the ground and she turned to look at Alex, still on her knees. He nodded encouragingly to her and parted his lips to speak- but paused. Her lips were nearly trembling again. Her eyes, cold, and just like those of a vulnerable child. Dammit, every time she looked like this, his confidence and ambitions melted away. He couldn't be like his dad.

"Why are you scared?" He asked her.

Femi kept quiet for a moment. Why was she scared? A question she wasn't sure if she could answer logically.

"I... I don't know..." Femi whispered, "I don't think I can do this. Up until this journey began, I never really thought about my visions. They were just... daydreams. But now, people are relying upon me to use them? I... I don't know if I can..." Her eyes locked upon Alex's once more, "Alex, what if I go wrong?"

Femi stared helplessly at Alex and waited for his answer. Alex felt such strong responsibility over this angel, he almost worried that he, also, would go wrong. If he would say or do the wrong thing. He just wanted her to be ok.

Alex slipped his warm, firm hand over Femi's and squeezed it, "Lady... you can't go wrong."

Femi smiled sadly, "Why do you have such faith in me?'

Alex smirked lightly, "Do you really need to ask that?... Ain't it obvious?"

Femi's eyes shimmered gratefully, perhaps with the glossiness of emotional tears, and Alex stroked Femi's hand with the tip of his dry thumb. Femi felt a lot more confident with Alex backing her up. And then, she began to think, it wasn't just Alex who needed her now. It was everyone. Evie, Rick, Carter, Brian, Ardeth, The Chief and his village... heck, all of Egypt, and the world. She needed to start acting like the Guardian sooner or later, and just do it. _Do it_, and don't resist. Femi wasn't just a librarian anymore.

"Alright," Femi whispered, catching Alex's excited attention, "I'll try... but don't be angry if I fail."

Alex shook his head and made to stand up with her, "You won't fail."

Femi stood up with Alex's help and swallowed nervously. She clung to Alex's hand; her stomach flipped, and a nervous shiver slithered up her spine.

"This is what you've been waiting for, right? This is what our whole journey's been for. Don't doubt yourself, kiddo." Alex sweetly told her.

Femi leant up onto her tiptoes and planted a slow, precious kiss upon his dirty cheek. Alex felt his insides warm up. She made him feel invincible. From the corner of the room, Rick was watching out of the corner of his eye, and wore a proud little smirk across his lips. His son had really grown up.

Femi leant back from Alex and, sighing enthusiastically, nodded, "Right. I can do this."

"Hell yeah." Alex playfully agreed.

Femi smiled at Alex one last time before turning away and curiously observing the rocky, glowing chamber. Rick turned around properly to watch her, deeply interested, and even Jonathan stopped fussing over his wounds to watch. Alex slipped his hands into his trouser pockets and wandered backwards until he came to lean against a wall, out of the way. Femi needed the space.

Femi's hands floated by her sides as she concentrated upon the patterns of the walls. Her fingers wiggled gracefully, her Egyptian clothes swished with her gentle movement, and her mind ticked... danced... searched.

_I can do this... nothing ever stopped me before_ - Femi told herself.

She took a deep breath in and closed her eyes tightly.

_Think. Think. Everyone's watching and depending upon you. Don't fail, you can't fail_ - Femi kept snapping at herself.

The only thing Femi could feel was her heart racing and the butterflies in her stomach. Seconds turned into minutes, and nothing was happening. A sudden, disruptive sneeze from Jonathan broke Femi's struggle of pursuit and she snapped her eyes open with a disappointed, frustrated sigh. Her hands went straight to her blushing face and she shook her head shamefully.

"I can't do it..." She wept, "I'm sorry...!"

Rick and his son glanced warily at each other and Rick nodded meaningfully. Alex knew. He was one step ahead of his dear old wise dad. Femi pressed her hands against her hot face as hard as she could as though it would make the guilt disappear, but it only made her head throb even harder. She heard soft, crispy footsteps come towards her from behind and sensed a warm presence against her back. Two compassionate, familiar hands slipped onto her stiff shoulders and massaged them ever so subtly, but just enough to begin to comfort Femi. Alex leant forwards and lowered his head to hold his lips at her ear.

"The only thing stopping you is your pride," Alex whispered, "Let it go, Femi. Right now, you don't have to be strong anymore. Just do what you feel... forget about the eyes watching you. Stop worrying about judgement... it's just me..."

His breath stroked her skin, and his milky, deep voice dominated the butterflies in her stomach, setting them at peace. Alex slid his hands up her neck, and onto her hands at her face, and tenderly peeled them away to free her hot, teary face. He linked his fingers with hers and brought them down by her waist, with his arms wrapped around her.

"Help me, Alex." Femi dreamily whispered under her breath.

At this point, Rick was busy observing the room by himself, just in case he could help by pointing out an odd hook or marking. The exit could have been anything. Alex, by resting his chin on her shoulder, pressed his cheek to hers and nuzzled it softly.

"Close your eyes... just relax with me, kiddo," He whispered, "Forget the crap that's happened - uh, I mean... relaaaax..."

Femi couldn't help but laugh a little, "Alex... that's not helping..."

Alex smiled somewhat. At least she was laughing, rather than crying.

"Remember when you told me, in Erk's barn... that you were scared of people findin' out about your visions?" Alex asked, and Femi nodded subtly, "Well, we all know, don't we? The people who care about ya'... the ones who're important, right?"

Rick was now ear-wigging their conversation and felt a proud bubble inflate in his chest. He and Alex had been away from each other for a while, and he didn't know exactly how he had turned out. But now, seeing this, and hearing him, he couldn't have been prouder.

"We ain't pushing you away," Alex continued, "We want you for who you are, visions and all. You don't need to be scared, cuz' we have faith in you. And you're stronger than most girls we've met... so... so, listen, Femi... if you're ever scared, just think of this. This moment, right?"

Femi found herself slipping into a reverie under Alex's spell. His words. Voice. Touch. Just being beside him. What he was saying didn't really make sense, but it completely did at the same time. She knew... it was all inside of her... she had to trust herself...

"Just let go, kiddo." Alex whispered slowly.

Silence. The "fwaffing" of the flames echoed around the chamber. Jonathan's panting. The oil burning. Everything was so still...

"... Femi?" Alex whispered after a number of minutes had passed.

And then, awakening to his call, Femi's eyes snapped open and she slipped her hands away from Alex. Jonathan and Rick both stood upright in amazement as they noticed the difference in Femi, and as she turned to pass Alex, silent and monotonous, he too spotted it. Her eyes were glazed over with a milky screen. Her hazel irises were no longer so bold in colour, but faded... distant. She was hypnotised.

"Bloody _Nora_...!" Jonathan heaved in astonishment.

Alex's brow creased in concentration whilst he carefully watched Femi. He wasn't going to let anything bad happen to her. Femi wandered her and there, her hands fiddling about as though pressing buttons and pulling levers, but nothing was there. Was she confused? Was she trapped within her inner, lost conscience?

Alex clenched his anxious fists and went to walk over to Femi, but his dad called out and he stopped in his tracks. Looking over at his father, Rick shook his head seriously. How could Alex just stand there and watch this?

"Bloody hell - look at that!" Jonathan gasped.

Alex and Rick forgot about their challenge and looked over at Femi right away. She was kneeling down at the wall and had pulled out a block of stone. Now, with a hole in the wall, she was reaching inside and fiddling around for something.

"She's doing it." Rick announced, amazed.

Alex was impressed, but still quite wary. Anything could go wrong. Femi stood back up and turned around whilst observing an odd, black ball in her hand. She lifted her hand out, hovered it above the moat of oil, and allowed it to drop into the water. After just a few seconds there was a sizzling sound, and the flames began to transform into a bluish tone. The ball must have been made form some sort of reactive element. Directly on the other side of the room to the slanted hill, down which Femi and the other's slid, was a solid crease in the circular wall. Just a few inches wide, but straight, and uncurled. Why hadn't the other's taken notice to it before? It was just a shape of wall, after all.

Femi placed her hands against the wall and pushed. The last flame that turned to blue was sitting in the moat at the side of the straight piece of wall. It burst into excitement and suddenly set off up and around the flat wall against which Femi was pushing. Alex jumped and went to run towards her, but at seeing her safe, he relaxed and forced himself to stop. She knew what she was doing, obviously.

And then, as Femi gave one, last push, the outline of the door, where the blue fire was burning furiously, started sizzling and melting away. The flame was acidic. But Femi wasn't strong enough to push the door back out of the frame. She needed help. And it didn't take long for Alex and Rick to rush to her side and join her in pushing.

"Ready?" Rick prepared them both.

Alex nodded and, at the same time, glanced at Femi. She looked like a completely different person with her white, blank eyes and expressionless, ghostly face. If he dared admit it, it frightened him, as though he had lost the girl who he had been kissing earlier...

"Push!" Rick shouted.

Alex tore his eyes away from Femi's bewitching face and pushed upon the door with his father. The wall made a groaning, cracking sound and gooey bits of black sludge dripped down to the ground by their feet. The door skidded back, slowly, stubbornly, and the O'Connell boys put all their effort into it. On their last, determined shove, another set of bruised hands pressed against the wall belonging to Jonathan. He winked at Alex.

"Heave!" He shouted.

The three men growled with each other, tilting their heads back, and deliver as much force against the weakening door as they could. It worked! With a painful grumble of defeat, the stone door fell away from them all and crashed down into the ground on the other side and a thick mist of sand puffed up into the air, blocking their immediate view.

It was done.

Alex laughed out loud and relief and excitement and turned to face Femi. Rick brushed his successful hands together, smiling with his brother-in-law, and turned also to look upon the young lady who saved them all. Just as Alex wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her into a tight, affectionate hug.

"You did it, kiddo." He scoffed under his breath.

After a few seconds, he noticed that Femi still was moving. No hugging back, no arm movement... nothing. Alex leant away from her to check upon her face, but what he saw wasn't exactly what he had expected.

"Jesus, Femi!" He exclaimed.

Femi's eyes were closed, her lips agape, and a small ounce of blood was beginning to run from her left nostril. Alex's expression filled with worry and he nervously lowered her to the floor in his arms.

"Dad!" Alex immediately shouted.

Rick scurried round to his side and knelt down to check Femi's pulse at her neck. Nodding coherently, he patted Alex's shoulder supportively.

"She's alright, Alex, she's just unconscious. That probably took a lot of energy out of her. She just needs to rest..." Rick composedly explained.

"How d'you know that, huh? She could be dying!" Alex snapped.

Rick suddenly realised just how much his boy cared for this young lady. It was strong, and pure, and probably his first ever mature experience. Alex really had changed from when he had last spoke with him. Maybe this girl was the best thing that had ever happened to him.

"Trust me, Alex," Rick whispered, "She'll be fine..."

Alex and Rick stared sternly at each other in a precious silence. Jonathan was the only one uninvolved in the situation, but instead, gaping at the doorway which they had all just pushed through...

"Um... sorry to ruin the moment," He swallowed, "But... please tell me those aren't what I think they are..."

Rick and Alex finally looked up, curious, and narrowed their eyes into focus at the long, dark tunnel on the other side of the doorway. They could just about perceive the blue, shiny figures of the deadly Scarab beetles that were stuck into the walls from the glowing of the nearest flame in the chamber. They were captured securely within their shells, but their presences still weren't going to help the group travel down that tunnel any easier. Alex and Rick both wrinkled their noses in pure distaste and announced their feelings in unison, with three, typical words:

"I hate bugs."

----------------------------------------------------------------------

_**Author's Notes:**_ _Wow, chapter **50**?! I never imagined it would last this long, but I'm loving every part of it. I do realise that I'll have to draw it to an end sometime, so I wonder how my imagination will conjure up the finale? Anyhoodles, I know I haven't updated in a while, but obviously there was a good reason for it an all. Sometimes life just accelerates without warning, you know? Keh. Well, I do hope you enjoyed this episode, I feel so attached to these characters and I have to say that I'm so proud of Femi for finally accepting who she is! Do I sound psychotic? Meh, perhaps. Thank you for reading! 3_


	51. Slow Progression

"Faster

"Faster! We can't let them get away!" Meela spat, and slapped one of her men around the back of his head.

Only 2 of them remained standing. The others, dead. When Femi and Alex had fallen through the stone door, the battle broke out and they all fought unyieldingly. Although they managed to lessen the members in Meela's gang, they were still caught as captives again. Great.

Evy released a wheezy little sigh and began to lean too far over upon the small ruin of rock she was perched upon. Brian Reynolds tore his sharp eyes away from Meela, and upon seeing his beloved old friend falling to the ground, he sprung to life and tried to hold her up with his legs.

"Evy! Evy, good heavens!" He gasped.

Evy hit the ground upon her side, hands still tied behind her back, and Brian knelt down beside her to try and check her situation. What Brian had expected to do with his hands bound behind him, Ardeth wasn't sure of as he glared in his position, chained to the wall. But Brian couldn't just let her lay there alone. His wife's best friend.

Meela and her men looked round to see what all the commotion was about, and Meela smirked cruelly. Oh, how she loved the torture. To put her men back to work she kicked a load of sand at their backs and they jumped back round to keep patting at the stone wall, searching for the activation. Carter wondered why they followed her when she was such a bitch.

"Aw, has Mrs O'Connell fainted on us?" Meela teased.

Brian looked up at her in a panic, "She needs water right away!"

"What's the magic word?" Purred Meela, twiddling her fingers together pleasantly.

Ardeth scowled in Meela's direction. He would have loved to jump up and pull some fast moves, but he knew he had to save it for later, when he was in a better position. For now, he just had to act wounded and helpless like the others.

"There isn't time to play dominance, woman!" Brian barked.

"I'm not playing." Meela sneered, and suddenly kicked Brian square in the face.

"Dad!" Carter exclaimed.

Carter and Ardeth flinched as they watched Brian topple back into the sand with a number of pained coughs. Blood dribbled from the side of his mouth. At this point, Evy began whimpering for air. She was going to die soon if she didn't get out of the sun and drink some water. Carter struggled madly to get to his father, but the horse on which his ropes were tied to wouldn't budge in the slightest.

Carter's eyes shimmered anxiously. He looked back and forth from all the facts. Dying Evy. Disabled, bloody Brian. Injured Ardeth. He had to stop this or things really were going to turn for the possible worst.

"Meela!" Carter cried.

She ignored him and kept walking away.

"Oi - _hag_!" He called again in bitterness.

Meela stopped immediately and slowly looked round at him with narrowed eyes. Carter waited uncertainly. If he hadn't been tied up, he wouldn't have felt so nervous. But this woman was in charge, now. She turned to fully face him and started making her patient way towards him without even sparing a glance down at the suffering Evy and Mr. Reynolds who was still panting in the sand.

"What if we make a deal." Carter gulped.

"You are in no position to be bribing me." Meela chuckled.

Carter grinned goofily, hiding his worry, "Oh yeah? What if it involved the Diamond Heart?"

Meela's expression glazed over bitterly and Brian let out a sharp "no" behind his coughing. Carter looked down at him and received a stern glare; but he  
ignored it and shifted his gaze back onto the dark woman before him.

"Let us go, and I'll give it to you." Carter suggested.

"I thought you said you didn't have it." Meela raised her eyebrow assertively.

Carter chuckled, "... You of all people should know a liar when you meet one. Untie me and I'll give it to you."

"I don't think so." Meela sniggered.

Carter rolled his eyes modestly and shrugged, "Ok, if you want to get it yourself, I won't stop you."

Meela paused and sent him a questioning look. Carter grinned down at his trousers, and winked at her, making her grimace. She clicked her fingers and her two men immediately came over to untie him with their pocket knives.

"Don't, Carter! Don't listen to her, son!" Brian shouted.

Meela rolled her eyes, "All I want is the diamond. I really could do without wasting my time in killing you all. Hand it over."

Carter rubbed his sore wrists and stepped away from Meela and her men whilst tutting like a teacher who was scolding their young students. Meela watched impatiently.

"Release them first." He demanded.

Meela raised an eyebrow. Within the blink of an eye, the men behind Meela had whipped out their guns that were hanging from the braces on their shoulders, and were now aiming them straight at Carter.

"Aha," Carter quivered, "Or not."

He chuckled nervously and reached way down into the depth of his trousers. As he fiddled about and attempted to lock his hand around the object, Meela waited with a bored and distasted expression on her pretty but wicked face.

"No, Carter..." Brian suspired miserably.

Carter pulled out the ruined, red box and held it out to Meela in the palm of his hand. Her greedy eyes glistened, and lifting one hand, she snatched it up in the lock of her spiteful fingers.

"I would not open 'dat here if I were you." Ardeth panted.

Meela licked her lips like a starving feline, "Oh and why not, old man?"

"De' Pharoah made 'de Diamond Heart for himself and his chosen two only. If your eyes meet 'de form of 'de jewel... your eyes will be burned from 'der sockets."

Carter glanced over at Ardeth, whilst Brian raised a peculiar eyebrow. Dear god, he had an imagination on him.

"Rumours." Meela laughed and turned to face Ardeth.

Ardeth stared at her without blinking, "You are more 'den welcome to try if you do not believe me..."

Meela stood her ground for no more than a few sharp seconds. Shifting her feet, she stuck her nose high into the air and slapped her hand into the chest of one of the men behind her.

"Give the woman some water. I do not want any of them dying before I am able to kill them all in front of each other." She snarled.

"Wait a minute!" Carter barked like a spoilt child, "Y-you said"-

Before he could finish his statement, the hilt of Meela's dagger conked onto his forehead and his world went black. Evy, however, did receive her water...  
Well that's good, at least.

**--**

It is expected for a dark, ancient, underground tunnel to be silent. Well, this one wasn't. There was a faint rumble of pressure in the other underground chambers and soft, pretty drip-drops echoing from the moist. But... how? It made Rick wonder. Where there was noise and moist, there had to be breeze. And the breeze was getting through from somewhere.

"Well, this is awfully nice isn't it chaps," Jonathan happily sighed as he wandered down the dusty, cobwebbed path, "Nothing like a dingy, stinky tunnel to bring us closer as a family, ey?"

Alex and Rick ignored him, but glanced at each other stiffly. They exchanged cheesy smiles. What else could they do? It was an awkward moment, especially thanks to Jonathan's rambling. Femi was being carried in Alex's firm arms and, every now and then, she would sigh in her sleep and nuzzle her face against his chest. It made him smile weakly; she was_ ok_.

"I thought all these tunnels would've caved in after our last visit, Rick. Member' that one? I wanted to get out, but nooooo, you had to be the good guy and wait behind for that little rat Benny. Good thing he got left behind - good riddance." Jonathan snorted and shook his head.

Rick rolled his eyes with a heavy sigh. Jonathan always gave him a hard time for the things of the past. Just as Rick was about to say something back to Jonathan, his attention was stolen away by the next approaching problem:

A fork in the pathway.

The group stopped at the end of their path and looked left and right cluelessly. Each direction was identical. Dark, cold, and smelly. The silence was never-ending and tense. Which way would they turn?

"Achoo!" Went Jonathan; his voice echoed all around.

Alex and Rick flinched and then slowly looked over their shoulders at him as he sniffed and rubbed the end of his throbbing nose. He caught their squinted eyes glaring at him and froze inquisitively.

"Bless you." Rick dryly and sarcastically reacted.

"So which way?" Alex sighed once they had turned back round.

Rick bit his bottom lip in thought, "Being perfectly honest?... I ain't got a clue."

"Step aside gentlemen," Jonathan sighed arrogantly and slipped through them both, "Allow me."

Rick and Alex sent each other sceptical looks, but watched Jonathan nonetheless. He paced up and down the nearby faces of each wall and stroked his finger tips across the dusty hieroglyphics. Mumbling, biting his lip, snapping his fingers and whispering to the tunnel's ceiling. Alex and Rick were beginning to think it was all an act, when out of nowhere, Jonathan clapped his knee in success and shuffled over to them both.

"Right - it's this way, lads." He announced.

Rick stood his ground, "And how exactly does that work out?"

"The hieroglyphics, Rick. Honestly, you've been married to my baby sis for how long, and you still can't translate properly?" Jonathan smirked.

He sent Rick a very belittling, cocky smile before turning on his heels and walking off, beckoning them on with a wave over his shoulder. Alex snorted lightly under his breath at his father's expression.

"N' what're you sniggerin'bout?" Rick grunted.

Alex eyed is dad up and down and walked off, chuckling, "Nothin', nothin'."

Rick cracked his neck to the left and then followed on behind his son. He didn't like the way that had just turned out.

"See that one there?" Jonathan asked Alex whilst pointing to the wall.

Alex nodded, "Yeah. It means stone, right?"

Jonathan smiled another one of his oh-I'm-so-good smiles, "Wrong. See the lines underneath it with the white specks? That means 'sparkling'. It's a sparkling stone. Something your mother taught me.

Alex stopped walking for a moment to observe the tricky symbol. His eyes then travelled down to Femi's sleeping, gentle face, and he blew a dark curl from her nose.

"Sparkling stone... the diamond heart." He whispered.

Rick passed him with a nod, "So that means the chamber's up ahead?"

"I hope so." Jonathan called back.

"Wait - you _hope _so?" Rick growled and stormed up to him.

Alex rolled his eyes at the two of them. He was just about to continue walking when Femi released a soft murmur and stirred in his arms. And like a flower blooming under the sun, Femi's eyes easily opened; Alex was the first thing they found.

"Mm... Alex?" Femi whispered.

Alex smiled, "Well, morning to you too. Had a good enough sleep? My arms aren't made of steel, you know."

Of course, he was teasing, but Femi wasn't one to be teased. He knew this. And he loved it. Femi blinked rapidly and looked all around to ingest everything. When she finally found out she was in Alex's arms, she slipped down onto the ground to stand by herself and ended up wobbling back into the wall behind her as though she were drunk.

"Easy," Alex chuckled, "Don't go stumblin' about like you're suddenly fine."

Femi touched her fingertips to her throbbing forehead and she sighed wearily. Rick and Jonathan had noted her waking long ago and were now waiting around, bickering as usual, to pass the time. Alex lifted Femi's face with his curled finger and bent his knees to hover at her level. His eyes searched hers for any weakness.

"What are you doing?" Femi mumbled.

Alex turned her head vaguely to the left and right, "Analysing your pupils."

Femi snickered, "Let me guess - another thing you learnt whilst travelling the world?"

Alex leant back and placed the finger tips of both hands on either of her cold cheeks. He shook his head, simply, and shrugged.

"Just common sense, I suppose." He bluntly replied.

"Hey, if you two love-birds are ready to go, we got a chamber to find." Rick playfully called back to them both.

Femi blushed brilliantly and Alex just rolled his eyes, snickering angrily. Alex wrapped his arm around Femi's shoulders to guide her.

"I'm alright now, really." Femi genuinely told him.

Alex kept staring straight ahead, "... I know."

Femi raised her eyebrows in surprise. A good surprise, not an offended or confused one. Alex wasn't holding her to help her, but to... be close to her. She smiled to herself and looked down at the dingy, dusty floor, but as they approached Jonathan and Rick she looked up automatically and suddenly felt a ghostly wave of de-ja-vu sweep over her. She froze, leaving Alex on his own until he turned round.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

Femi gulped, eyes shimmering coldly, "... I... I don't know."

Alex looked up to his dad and Jonathan, "Hey, wait up!"

But they were oblivious. Out of nowhere, Femi received a violent flash in the back of her mind, and the stone hallway exploded with dust and sand as giant, swinging axes, darting arrows and large iron balls started tearing it apart. Femi stumbled here and there to get away - her heart pounded dangerously and her eyes watered in fear. She spun around to escape and was faced with a flying dagger. She threw her arms up for protection and released a loud scream...-

"Femi!" Alex's worried voice roared as he shook her shoulders.

Femi fell back into the real world and landed against Alex's chest. She clung to his chest and he held her close, shushing her softly.

"Jesus, it's ok... it's _ok_, Femi." Alex whispered, stunned by what he had just seen.

It was like she was trying to fight off a ghost or something!

Femi pulled away from Alex and looked over her shoulder in a panic. Rick and Jonathan were still walking, safely, without a single idea of what they were about to do.

"No, _stop_!" She yelled, spinning round.

"H-hey -- Femi!" Alex stuttered, awfully confused.

Femi clenched her fists desperately, "It's a booby-trap!!"

Just as Rick turned round to face her, his foot landed on a small, square pedal that sunk down into the ground with a soft scraping sound. Rick froze and looked down, stiff, cautious and dreading what was about to happen. He and Jonathan exchanged expressions of sheer guilt.

"Oh crap." They sighed.

--

_**Author's Note:**_ _I just want to apologise for the long wait towards this update. Life's been active for me lately so I haven't had as much time as usual. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it; peace and latte folks!_


	52. Obstacles

_Femi clenched her fists desperately, "It's a boobie-trap!!"_

_Just as Rick turned round to face her, his foot landed on a small, square pedal that sunk down into the ground with a soft scraping sound. Rick froze and looked down, stiff, cautious and dreading what was about to happen. He and Jonathan exchanged expressions of sheer guilt._

_"Oh crap." They sighed._

_-------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

"Don't move!" Alex yelled at his dad, still holding onto Femi.

Rick and Jonathan looked around the dimly-lit passageway in bewilderment. Well, more relief than anything, but still surprise. They had expected themselves to be cut up into little slices by now... but the traps hadn't started.

Alex shuffled past Femi and, holding her hand, they rushed over to Rick's side to stare down at his right foot anxiously. They exchanged looks of wisdom; they knew exactly what was going on.

"What are we going to do?" Femi shivered nervously.

Rick sent them both a sceptical grin, "With what, kids?"

"We need a... um... something to hold it." Alex mused aloud.

"Yeah, any time now Alex. Femi. Hello, if you hadn't noticed I'm trying my damn hardest not to move and it's growing really tiresome here!" Rick sarcastically announced.

"Dad," Alex looked up at him seriously, "Have you got anything heavy enough to hold the same weight down as your foot?"

He blinked blankly at his son, as though he were some kind of complete idiot. Femi and Alex waited, nonetheless, as though he was about to give them a heroic answer that would save the day!...

"Yeah, let me just pull out the weights I like to carry around with me all day." Rick snickered.

Femi sighed anxiously whilst Alex just rolled his eyes at his father's typical attitude. Always so damn cocky. But, although Alex would never admit it, Femi could already identify just how similar the two O'Connells really were.

"Well I guess you're stuck here, old man." Alex sighed, rubbing his head.

Rick snorted, "Old man - if only I could move my foot, you'd see what this old man's capable of still."

"Please, let's not bicker..." Femi sighed sheepishly.

"Tell that to him." Alex snipped bitterly.

"Alex." Femi scolded, holding his arm.

Alex rolled his eyes again. She was as bad as his bloody mother, always taking Rick's side.

"Excuse the interruption, but, uh... what about this?" Jonathan's voice appeared out of nowhere.

Everyone had seemed to have, shamefully, forgotten all about Jonathan's presence through the heat of the moment. And there he stood ever so innocently with a promisingly big rock in his hands. Alex grinned.

"What would we do without you, unc." He chuckled, and took the large brick from him.

Jonathan brushed his hands together proudly, "Don't ask me, chap."

But now, the tension was on. Alex crouched down right beside his father's foot and inhaled a sharp breath through his gritted teeth.

"On three." Rick announced.

"Wait," Alex looked up, "On three, or after it?"

"What does it matter?" Rick sighed.

Alex put the rock down angrily, "A lot, cuz' if you go on three n' I'm waitin' till after three then I'll miss, n' it'll all mess up!"

Femi shook her head and placed her finger tips to her aching forehead. They were as bad as each other, honestly.

"Why the hell would I go after three when I said on three?" Rick grunted.

"That's what I'm askin'!" Alex barked, and threw his arms up.

Rick's anger had stolen away his patience and, subconsciously, he carelessly stepped towards his son in a phase of frustration. He knew what he had immediately, as did everyone else. The 4 of them froze, gasping, holding their arms up apprehensively as to await the moment that death would come swishing and slicing towards them. Rick looked down at the floor; it began rumbling.

"Oops." He whispered.

A thunderous clank erupted from the wall and a cloud of smoke filled the air. The gang all yelled and jumped back, and in unison, they spun round and took flight down the devious, pounding corridor with god-knew-what swishing and crunching after them all. Femi stupidly cast a sharp look over her shoulder and recognised, through all of the spraying rock and frothing dust, a storm of vicious weapons swinging to and fro and shooting up from the stone ground. They were all just, at least, only 1 second ahead.

"Oh my god," Femi gasped and spun her head back round, "Don't look back!!"

"Uh, Femi?!" Jonathan cried, "I looked back!!"

The 4 of them had to suddenly duck in their running as a large, iron ball came crashing through the wall and swooped straight into the other side, tearing the brick wall apart. Alex snatched up Femi's hand when they were finally close enough and he skidded around the next corner with her clinging to his arm and desperately trying to hold herself stable. She was doing a far better job than Jonathan, at least.

"Where are we going?!" Femi yelled over the ruckus of clanging, swooshing, booming weapons all around them.

Rick's eyes darted all around for some sort of escape, but wherever he looked he was greeted with more brick. More wall. The only option was to keep going up ahead. Oh, wait, no, that wasn't possible because it was a **frikking dead end**!

"Oh, gimme' a break!" Rick growled.

The 4 of them slid across the dusty ground and hit against the wall. Alex covered Femi protectively, and Jonathan huddled behind Rick, and there they waited and braced themselves for the end. Closer came the spinning knives and the odd axe invention that swayed from side to side like an upside-down pendulum of a grandfather clock.

"Ooooohhh craaaaaappp!" Rick growled anxiously and turned his head away.

**Hisssssssssss**

Everything gradually, tauntingly, went quiet. Jonathan cracked one daring eye open as he realised that he was, in fact, still alive. Just like the others. Femi cautiously came out from within Alex's arms and looked around curiously with them all. They coughed and waved their hands to rid the air of the thick smoke and dust, and when it began to settle, they understood that the traps had simply... stopped. They had come to the end of their journey, it had seemed.

"Well", Jonathan laughed, brushing himself down, "That was bloody close. And did I panic? I think not."

Ironically, according to Jonathan's cheesy bragging, the wall behind them all gave way with a naughty little groan and the 4 of them yelling were turned over into another section of the underground graveyard where they lost their balances and fell down onto the ground in a heap on each other.

"Oh, gerroff'!" Jonathan grumbled with the heel of Rick's shoe at his lips.

Rick, being the first one up, reached down and helped Femi stagger to her feet - Jonathan had hoped his dear nephew would do the same to him, but alas, he was left to recompose himself alone. Alex came to Femi and placed a hand on her dirty cheek.

"You ok?" He panted.

Femi nodded, "Mhm. Are you?"

He smiled back at her and slid his hand down into her own. The two of them, together, commenced in looking about the new room very carefully with Rick right behind them.

"Oh my..." Femi suspired upon coming across a wall of hieroglyphics.

She and Alex narrowed their eyes attentively and wiped away the dust with their finger tips. Jonathan came up behind them and was in the middle of fixing his shirt collar when the golden twinkles caught his eye; he stepped up in between the love-birds and placed his palms against the markings.

"... Gold." He drooled.

As a new understanding dawned upon Femi, her head vaguely tilted aside and her brow creased in confusion. Well, she wasn't confused, she knew exactly what she was reading, but... how had she been so mistaken? Why had her premonitions, the little fox in her dream, led her to a place that was completely... irrelevant.

"What is it?" Rick asked Alex, who could also read the markings.

He shook his head in refusal to believe. It was impossible. His eyes skipped onto Femi's figure and he noticed the look of sheer guilt and panic stricken across her face and that trembled in her fingers as they came up to her agape lips. She was wrong. Wrong.

Femi looked all around the room in astonishment. Rick and Jonathan just looked at each other without any real idea. All they knew was that something had happened, again.

"This isn't... this isn't the place." Femi whispered.

She finally found the courage to look round at Alex and the others, even though she had salty tears in her eyes. How had she been wrong? She couldn't understand it.

"Hey, hey, come on," Alex sighed and went towards her, hands out, "Don't even start with that, how were you supposed to know?"

He placed his hands on her cheeks and forced her to look at him. She gulped, trying to ingest what they had discovered, and placed her hands over the back of his.

"This isn't Hamunaptra, is it..." Femi muttered under her breath.

Rick and Jonathan felt their hope sink. All this time, they had truly believed they were onto something... but now... now, they weren't even in Hamunaptra?? All along???

"Great," Rick snarled, and suddenly kicked the wall, "This is god-damn beautiful!"

"Cut it out, dad." Alex sighed back at him.

Femi shook her head and stared straight through Alex's chest, "I-I'm so sorry... all this time, and I didn't even..."-

"Look, you can't expect your visions to always, you know... be right... right?" Alex asked.

He was trying ever so hard to make her feel ok. What could he say, really? Femi had made a mistake, but that was alright. It was ok. It made her human. But as Rick, Alex and Femi all dealt with the news in their own ways, Jonathan was having the time of his life trying to scrape out the golden tints in the hieroglyphics, chuckling away.

"Come to papa, kiddies." He giggled childishly.

He stuck the tip of his dagger into the wall to pluck out a line of gold, but it caught in a small crack and wouldn't come back out. Jonathan tugged and wiggled it but began to lose his patience, and before he knew it, he had kicked his foot violently against the wall and hiss... it shifted. The dust shifted from the rock and a clear, thin divide became visible to everyone in the room.

Rick wandered up beside him to ponder over the new discovery, and soon enough, Femi and Alex had arrived also. At first, they were just wondering whether the door led further onto their hopes of finding the Chamber of the Sadem Trah; they had to get to it before Meela. But then, their thoughts transformed into that of anticipation and pessimism, as it faintly, almost unnoticeably began to tremble. Vibrate. As though something was coming through from the other side.

Femi took a wary step back, "Alex..."

Alex looked to his dad this time. He couldn't have the answers on every occasion, after all. Rick moved into a ready stance and was just about to lift his hand out to touch the wall when splassssssssh!!

Femi let out a sharp yelp at the sight of so much sand spraying through the crack. And it was widening with each second that passed. The 4 of them retreated to the other side of the room and began pounding their hands against the wall in a hope that the secret door would spin round again. Femi looked round; the door was open, and the room was flooding with salty, cold sand by the second.

"It's coming in too fast!" Femi shouted.

"Keep trying!" Rick ordered.

Hands slammed. Feet kicked. Sand hissed maliciously. No matter how any of them tried, the door wasn't going to open again. But they weren't just going to lie down and wait for the sand to suffocate them all. It was rising up to their knees, now. Femi was beginning to panic and pressed herself against the wall, eyes closed, chest tightening against her will. Alex pounded his hands against the wall extra hard as he noticed the pain across her face. It was not about to end like this...

"Wait a minute..." Rick grumbled.

He stopped kicking the door and allowed his eyes to travel about the slowly flooding room in thought. The patterns on the walls... he suddenly realised there was a large circle on the right-hand wall. A circle made of red and white patterns and wiggly lines symbolising water.

"Hail Mary, full of grace, the lord is bloody with me!" Jonathan started panting to himself as he collapsed against the wall also.

"Come on dad, keep going!" Alex ordered angrily.

"Wait Alex!" Rick pulled him away from the wall by the scruff of his shirt and held him in place, "Remember that story your mother told us about how the Egyptians would often hold challenges and tests of the mind?"

Alex paused and eyed his dad curiously. Rick smiled.

"When this room fills up with enough sand, the pressure will force open a small gate - which's what those markings over there are tryin' uh tell us." Rick pointed.

Alex shook his head, "Are you sure about this dad...?"

Femi had overheard the entire conversation and had convinced herself to leave the safety of the wall and walk over to the two O'Connells. She took both of their hands in her own and they looked to her, concerned, but she gave a strong nod.

"It's our only chance." She shivered.

Jonathan swam through the sand and came to join with Rick and Alex. The cold, old sand was coming up to their chests, now. It was going to be only a matter of seconds that would draw the line between their deaths, or their success. Femi squeezed Alex's hand and they exchanged gentle smiles.

"See you in a minute." Alex told her.

But as the sand came crawling up to their necks, their serene attitudes became very different and Femi couldn't stop herself from suddenly pushing her way over to him and wrapping her arms around him through the thick sand. Their lips met, and their eyes shut, and suddenly their heads were underneath. Gone. But all the while, they held each other close and kept their warm lips practically glued together whilst waiting for their fate to be decided...

_"Oh, mother, thank you! Thank you so much!" Femi gasped._

_She jumped down from the platform and ran to her mother, wrapping her arms around her. Her mother, smiling, leant back to take another good look at her darling daughter._

_"The gentlemen will be queuing down Grandstoke Avenue just to greet you soon." She chuckled._

_Femi blushed, "Ew. Mummy, stop... boys are... blegh."_

_She laughed and stroked Femi's cheek, "You shall grow into a fine young lady some day, my darling Femi. I cannot wait to watch you grow."_

Femi was snatched back into reality when she was suddenly torn away from Alex's lips. Alex's chest, Alex's arms and warmth and company. She was being pulled away by a strong force, and no matter how hard she tried to swim to some kind of surface to breathe such magical oxygen, she was being controlled by the waves of the sand.

She felt her elbow graze against a rocky edge just before she felt her stomach flip, and her top half lower down. She was falling with the sand, gliding down the mountain it had made. Her head surfaced from the deathly substance just as her body found the hard, stone floor, and she rolled over a number of times before coming to a twisted still on her side. She broke out into a fit of dry coughs; she sand was in her throat, eyes, and stuck to her lips, making it rather uncomfortable to move.

But she was alive. It had worked. She had no reason to be surprised; the O'Connell men hadn't failed her yet.

Femi rolled over and pushed herself upright, wiping her face with the back of her hands and the sleeves of her robes. Shaking her head free of the sand, she stood up and ran to the huge heap of sand to frantically begin digging her way through it in search of the 3 other members of her party.

"Alex? Rick? Jonathan! Answer me!" She coughed and gasped.

She slipped on the sand and performed another awkward roll down towards the concrete floor; however, her path was blocked by a figure lying across her path. Femi stopped herself and skidded along upon her knees, and when she arrived next to the person, Jonathan threw his head up and released a sudden, dramatic sneeze, through which a waterfall of sand came from his messy hair and plenty more spilt out from his mouth.

Femi nearly laughed, "Jonathan, thank goodness you're alright!"

She threw herself over him and hugged him so tightly that it was hard for him to breathe. But Femi, overwhelmed with relief, was oblivious to his plead for air as he patted her back.

"F-Femi... can't... breathe..." He choked.

Femi released him without a clue of what she had done and Jonathan gasped brilliantly and sank back down into the sand. Femi began brushing the excess sand from his collar and tempted, with slitted eyes, to see through the daunting darkness of the chamber in which they had fell through. A large amount of light poured in through the big, stone hole in wall, where the current of the sand had taken them through, but it still wasn't strong enough to light the whole place.

"I swear to you," Jonathan coughed, "That wasn't my fault this time... I only kicked it."

Femi ignored him and stood up anxiously, "Where're the other two??"

Jonathan shifted himself upright and joined Femi in scanning the area. It was light but not light enough, and although they were perched midway up a mountain of dust it didn't bring them any help.

"Sand... sand..." Jonathan counted off, "Oh, wait!"

Femi gasped and looked round, "What??"

"Oh, no... just more sand." He sighed.

Femi sent him a childish, sulk-like stare as he brushed himself down thoughtlessly. It wasn't a joking matter. But hey, that was Jonathan. Maybe Femi should begin to learn to be more grateful for his carefree, optimistic attitude?

But although Jonathan had "mistaken" something in the sand, there really was something seemingly human near to them both. It started squirming gently beneath the heap of golden dust, and the more that Femi watched it, the more she perceived it to be an actual person. And it was, very much so.

"Alex." She whispered to herself.

She leapt upright at once and set off down the hillside, half falling, half slipping and half staggering along with her hair and arms flailing about gracelessly. She crashed down onto her knees when she arrived beside the person and hurriedly began digging away the sand from around the buried O'Connell.

"It's alright, I'm coming to get you, don't worry!" Femi gasped.

She finally saw a match of hair. Then two ears, then a neck, and then a face. But it wasn't Alex's. Nor was it Rick's. Just as Femi recognised her enemy, his hand shot out from the sand and grabbed the side of her head, clenching upon her hair most greedily. One of Meela's men.

"Why, 'dank you." The man sneered sarcastically.

Femi gasped and stiffened on the spot. Her eyes began to wander up the hillside of sand... one by one... growing like crooked flower stems... more of Meela's men... lurking up into the dark, musty air.

Why were they there? How were they there? Jonathan suddenly noticed what was going on and he, too, paused in the midst of his arriving panic. It was very, very tense all of a sudden.

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	53. It Was Real Love

_**Author's Note**__ Please can I just warn you that a lot of you may, perhaps, dislike this episode. If you are all deeply following this story as much as your wonderful reviews allow me to perceive, I can guarantee that there will be a few angry faces once you have finished this episode. But please, no flames, tis' my decision as the writer to do as I please, and I hope that you all trust me with that. Enjoy!_

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Femi gasped and stiffened on the spot. Her eyes began to wander up the hillside of sand... one by one... growing like crooked flower stems... more of Meela's men... lurking up into the dark, musty air.

-----------------------------------------------

Femi stared at Meela's servant with wide, panicking eyes as she apprehended their next movement. For some reason, she was confident that he wouldn't kill her yet, but she expected a spiteful nose-numbing punch or some hair to be ripped out. They seemed to like bullying their victims...

"FEEMIIIIII!!" A voice echoed through the cave.

Femi and the man gripping her both gasped, and at the very moment that they both looked round and up the hillside of sand, they both spotted a rather wild, sand-drenched Carter surfing towards them on a small board of rotting wood. Femi ducked backwards immediately and Carter knocked straight into the man who had been holding her, and off he went rolling and tumbling down the hill, falling deeper into unconsciousness with each blow he took to the sand.

"Carter??" Femi whispered, confused, watching him sail away as he laughed out proudly to himself.

Femi heard a sudden commotion from above and looked up with a jump. Rick had engaged in a new fight with another of Meela's men, and behind him, Evie was doing the same with another. Femi just blinked confusedly. How had they all gotten inside?

"See!" Jonathan shouted at Femi as he ran towards her with 2 men hot on his tracks, "I told you it wasn't my fault!"

Femi assumed that Meela's men, who had captured Evie and Carter and her father, were on the other side of the doorway (the doorway that Jonathan had kicked) that led up to the surface. Femi suddenly felt a rush and a strong desire to look around for her father, but Jonathan was already at her side. He grabbed Femi's arm as he passed and the two of them took off down the rest of the sand slope as quickly and _safely_ as they could, even though they were falling and slipping here and there without any control.

When Femi finally felt herself land upon solid ground, she immediately stopped to turn and await the men chasing them. What were they to do? It was too dark for them to see, and they had no weapons at hand, unlike Meela's men! The two black-clothed bandits came to skidding halts in front of Femi and Jonathan and chuckled darkly with each other as they approached, holding out their guns. Jonathan gulped loudly.

"Do you like tennis by any chance?" Jonathan asked.

Even Femi looked to Jonathan with an odd look on her face. One of them men cocked his gun and went to take a threatening step towards him.

"Do not mock me." He growled.

Jonathan shook his head, "No, I'm generally curious... Can you play?"

The man sneered. Clearly, he didn't care, or he wasn't even bothered about the sport. Femi just stared blankly.

"Well, that's too bad." Jonathan chuckled.

"And why is 'dat?" The other man snapped.

Jonathan shrugged, "I guess you won't have much luck dealing with this move then..."

For a moment, no one understood. The two men exchanged clueless looks with each other and, all of a sudden, Jonathan brought his hands out from behind his back and lobbed two stones at their heads. As they both jumped away and held their hands to their sore heads, Jonathan and Femi took the opportunity to turn and leg it as far as they could before the bullets started flying.

_Bang bang bang bang!_

It wasn't long enough! Femi's free arm flailed about as she raced along beside the crying Jonathan. She had no idea where they were heading, but it had to be better than the bullets?

_Bang bang bang bang - __**ping**_

Ping? It snagged at Femi's wonder, but her questions were answered. An unexpected silver ray of light shot across her pathway and she came to a gradual stop with Jonathan, as did the men chasing them. In fact, everyone in the chamber who was fighting stopped whatever they were doing just to watch the sunlight from outside bounce from one circular mirror to the next until, finally, the entire, enormous cave was clearly visible. Every crack. Every marking. Every drawing, jewel, gold decoration and construction.

"Oh my..." Evie whispered as she circled the spot in awe.

It was a method of the ancient Egyptians that allowed light to pass down into the underground chambers and tunnels. Mirrors, reflecting sunlight. Very clever. As Femi looked around at the place, she suddenly spotted her sweet father lying in the sandy hill, also gaping. Femi acted without thinking first.

"_Daddy_!" She cried, and waved her hand in the air vigorously.

Everyone was whirled back into reality and as her father whipped his head down to look over at her, guns banged, swords clanged and fists started swinging once more. It was happening again.

Femi dodged the bullets flying towards her until Jonathan grabbed her once more and pulled her behind a tall, brick pillar for cover. It was then, where they were given a chance to rest, that Femi's eyes locked onto something which made her heart jump into her throat excitedly. There were steps, only over fifty feet away, that led up onto an stage of some sort. But it wasn't even the stage that had stolen Femi's concentration - it was the door behind it...

Femi looked away from the wall and up ahead. She was walking. Walking behind two women with dark hair, and a man was in front of them, wearing a glamorous, golden head-piece and golden clothes and fine veils. It was the Pharaoh.

Nonetheless, it felt perfectly right... Femi walked up the steps behind them all, and as they arrived at the top, they parted and allowed Femi to walk through and up to the stone doorway in the wall. She reached out her hands and placed a shimmering, red jewel into the door which had been in her cupped hands the entire time. The jewel fit perfectly into the hole and it pushed the lock back, allowing Femi to push it open inwards.

Femi blinked rapidly and found herself still pressed up against the pillar beside Jonathan, who was freaking out over all of the gun shots.

"Jonathan!" Femi called.

"What?!" He shouted, flinching uncontrollably with each bullet that came piercing into the brick around them both.

"We're not in the ruins of Hamunaptra." Femi informed him.

Jonathan nodded skeptically, "Yes, we know that dear!"

"This is the ruins of Akhar!" Femi exclaimed happily.

Judging by the expression on Jonathan's face, she knew that he wasn't entirely certain of it's meaning. Rolling her eyes, Femi grabbed his chin and turned his head, pointing to the stairs.

"See that door?" She shouted, "It's the chamber we've been looking for! The chamber of the Sadem Trah!"

Jonathan's eyes grew big, "That's it?"

Femi nodded happily, smiling, but still very stressed. The two of them were so swept up by their excitement and relief that they hadn't realized that the gunshots had stopped...

"Femiiiiiii!" A taunting voice called through the cave.

A chill slithered down Jonathan's spine and he shivered. It was Meela. Femi cautiously poked her head around the corner and looked around warily, wondering how close she really was.

"Come out, come out, wherever you aaaare." Meela sang disturbingly.

Femi looked around and noticed that Rick, Evy and her father - plus Carter, wherever he had surfed off to - where nowhere to be seen. Something was wrong. It was very off indeed. Femi was just about to step out into the open, but Jonathan grabbed her by the shoulder and yanked her back beside him.

"Do you want to die??" He whispered like a woman.

Femi grabbed the scruff of his shirt and shook him to his senses, "Come on, man, snap out of it! Our friends are out there!"

She released him and gave him a second to recompose his wild self. Huffing softly, he nodded, and encouraged Femi to go with a small wave of his hand. She did so without hesitation.

Turning, she came to face Meela, who was standing in front of a large group of men. Her father, Carter, Evy and Rick were hostages once more. So, where were Alex and Ardeth?

"Welcome home, sweetie," Meela teased, "How does it feel, hmm?"

Femi refused to reply, and so just glared at her, Jonathan right behind her. She glanced at her father, and for a second, her eyes softened sadly. He looked so exhausted...

Meela brought out her hands from behind her back. She held her hand up. Everyone froze. Femi held her breath. There, in between her finger tips, was the little red stone that Femi had been holding in her vision.  
The Diamond Heart.

Meela laughed, "Go on Femi, it's alright. You can cry. It must be absolutely _horrible_ to know that I've won."

Femi gritted her teeth. They had failed.

But out of nowhere, all of the light in the room was suddenly washed away. Someone had moved one of the mirrors. No one could see a thing. Femi heard gasps, yells, angry cries and thuds, and the first thing that came to her mind was to find Meela and steal the jewel back. Holding her hands out, she just closed her eyes and went forwards with the excruciating worry of finding a sword, instead, flooding her mind.

Someone knocked into her, she fell right, another hit her back and she fell forwards onto her knees. A millisecond flew passed when the circular mirror was put back in place and the light returned. Femi gasped, suddenly, when she found herself directly opposite Meela, who was on her knees gripping the Diamond Heart to herself. Rick was strangling a man, Brian (her father) had another in a head lock, and Jonathan was still waving his fists about with his eyes shut completely.

Meela looked up and her eyes met with Femi's. They both knew what was about to happen. Femi roused up her courage and pushed everything else aside to take a strong, confident leap straight on top of Meela, but Meela quickly rolled aside and Femi smooshed into the sandy ground, scraping her knees and elbows. Meela cast a vicious kick into Femi's side, and Femi flinched, coughing hard.

Meela laughed and held up the Diamond Heart beside her head as Femi looked up at her through her watery, despairing eyes. Meela kicked her again, this time in the back, and Femi wriggled painfully.

"Sorry, kid, but your time's up now. It's my time to shine." Meela announced.

"Oh yeah?" A voice snickered.

As Meela turned to face the person, a hand swiped out and snatched out the Diamond Heart from her hand within the flicker of a flame. Meela screamed at the sight of Rick and was about to lunge at him with her clawed fingers, but Femi snaked her arms around her ankles and she fell to the ground. But as she and Meela engaged in a slapping, punching fight on the ground, one of Meela's men leapt onto Rick's back and made it very hard for him to stand properly.

He started wobbling about, and the man grabbed onto his wrist and started pulling his hand up towards him to try and steal the Diamond Heart back. Rick kept up his strength with all his might, and even as the man suddenly bit into his fist, he did nothing but growl angrily and endure the pain. Turning, his rage racing, he ran backwards and rammed the man into the pillar, where he slipped from his back easily.

But when Rick looked at his hand, the Diamond Heart was gone, and instead rolling along the ground towards Meela and Femi. The two anxious women stopped slapping at each other to watch it stop on the floor, and after looking to each other in challenge, they started scrambling off towards it. Pulling at each other, kicking, biting, they wriggled onwards with all their might, but just as Meela was nearly there, Femi managed to move back onto her knees and hold Meela in place by her ankle.

A foot crunched down upon the ground in front of her hand, and Meela stopped struggling apprehensively. Alex O'Connell leant down and picked up the stone with a cheeky grin on his face. Femi smiled. Meela glared. Jonathan kicked someone in the groin and gave himself a little dance of achievement.

"_You_ lose." Alex whispered to Meela.

Meela's face turned red, even through her natural glowing tan, and a scream so furious escaped her throat that her head trembled under the pressure. Alex winced, mocking her, and Femi stood up to drag her away just to add to the amusement of it all. But Meela wasn't a fool, nor did she like losing.

Twisting round, she kicked Femi hard in the womb and she fell back onto the floor with a loud cry. Alex's expression turned angry, but as he came towards her, Meela spun round and drew something very unexpected from her boot.

She growled angrily. Alex froze, with a small cough. Femi heard and bolted upright.

Her world stopped moving.

Alex was looking very confused. His eyes trailed down to his heart, where a small, deviant knife was sticking into him. The Diamond Heart slipped from his weak hand and landed on the ground.

Femi was so distraught that she couldn't cry out. Whimpering, she ignored the pain in her throbbing womb and ran to Alex, holding him by the sides. He looked down at her with angry confusion in his eyes - as though he had no idea what death was, or that he could even die. But he was supposed to live! Live!!

Femi released a soft sob as Alex began sinking to the floor. She lowered with him and settled him on his back, where he coughed a few times and closed his eyes tightly. Femi crouched over him and hovered her shaking, bloody hands cluelessly around the dagger, not knowing what on earth to do.

"No...no... no!" Femi sobbed.

He opened his eyes. They were actually filled, for the first time, with fear. No cockiness, strength, arrogance. He was just Alex O'Connell, waiting at death's front door, revealing the child inside of him. Lifting his hand, he held it to Femi's cheek, and she gripped his wrist fearfully. No one else had a clue as to what had happened - they were still busy defending themselves.

"F-Femi..." He choked, "A-ardeth is waiting... The Medjai are ready to... fight the Pharoah's army... I sent him to"-

"Shhh..." Femi whispered through her sobbing, "I-it doesn't matter about that, Alex. There isn't going to be a War, I promise. You're going to be alright..."

A tear fell from Femi's chin and trickled down his wrist.

"I d-don't want... to lose... you." He whispered.

And then, without giving Femi any time to say her last words, Alex released his last breath and his eyes dropped, along with his hand. Femi's heart shriveled. Her stomach was on fire with burning acid. Her mind swelling. She leant over him to cry and cry, and cry for all eternity.

She loved him.

So much.

She hadn't realised until this moment.

Meela strolled up beside them both and swiped up the Diamond Heart from the ground. She observed it, and when satisfied, cast Femi one last look, a look of darkness and spite, as though she were the dirt beneath her feet.

"Your tears insult me. You think this pain means love?... You have no idea what love is." Meela sneered, as though she were higher than her.

Femi closed her sore eyes and allowed her mind to fill with the memories. Painful to think of, but she couldn't stop herself...

Alex, with an entertained smirk across his wet face, turned around in his seat to look at Femi "Is that anyway to greet the man of your dreams?..."

Femi wanted to laugh to herself, but she couldn't. How did he know that he really would end up being the man of her dreams?

Even if, one day, they had wanted to get married... that would never happen now.

Alex raised his eyebrows and peered round at her "You sound curious."

Femi had found out that night that Alex was having problems with his parents. Now, they would never get the chance to put it all behind them... Alex didn't have time to set things right... And oh, god, Femi had said these exact words: _" You never know when they could be stolen away from you. You may never get the chance to make it right." _

Femi sobbed again. How... how could this have happened? Femi wanted him back so much.

They way he annoyed her with his arrogant attitude, and stubborn arguments. How he watched her secretly when he thought she wasn't looking. How she was always thinking of him, even when it was because she thought she despised him. How he always wanted to protect her. How he smiled at her when she impressed him either with getting drunk, or dancing around a campfire in an Egyptian tribal village. She wanted it all back... she wanted _him_ back, so much...

... It wasn't long before Femi felt a number of strong hands grabbing her and lifting her up again. She had been captured once more. She wasn't sure how long she had been mourning over Alex's body for, but all she did know was that she was being lead away, now, with a screaming Evy, behind Meela's careless self. They were heading straight towards the chamber doors.

Femi cast a miserable look back at Alex's dead body. It hurt too much. She suddenly remembered how painful it was when she lost her mother. Rick O'Connell and her dear own father were both unconscious on the floor, and Jonathan was knelt beside his dead nephew, eyes shut, a miserable frown on his face.

Everything was over now. It was time to give up.

Femi's heart and head felt so heavy that she felt no inspiration to fight back. No motive anymore. She was sinking into misery, just as Evy was, the poor woman. Meela slipped the Diamond Heart into the wall, but before pushing them inwards, she turned to deliver a spiteful little smile to Femi.

"Thank you, Guardian. You have done a marvelous job..." She teased.

Femi let out a light sob. Evy reached out and closed her hand around Femi's, and Femi squeezed back. Why did she feel as though it was all her fault? Femi could have stopped Meela throwing that dagger at him... but she didn't act fast enough...

Meela pushed open the door and stepped inside. Another clever activation had been planted at the doors so that, upon opening, oil was spread around the moat in the walls and ignited more fire to light the room. Meela came to a stop in front of a tall, rocky, cobwebbed table. Tall, thin, with symbols drawn into the markings.

Femi and Evy watched miserably.

Meela's eyes held hunger, frightening desire, and she licked her lips like a cat ready to pounce upon a vulnerable bird. She stepped forwards and placed her hand upon the dusty box that sat on the table and slid her right one across to wipe away the dirt; gold shimmered up at her. The box opened. No one could see the instrument until she held it up to her chest and turned, laughing quietly.

It was a small, golden flute, but with just 2 holes in it and an odd curve at the end. It wasn't anything Femi or Evy had seen before.

"And now, the blood..." Meela whispered.

Femi winced as she watched Meela slice into her own arm and allow her blood to drip into the instrument. She then approached Evy. But as Femi struggled and attempted to keep her safe, and Evy resisted fearfully, a very frightening Rick came up to the top step behind them all and stopped in the doorway. He looked... filled with a desire for revenge.

"Blood of the Pharaoh's wife," Meela chanted, in reference to herself, and then sliced Evy's arm, "And blood of his daughter..."

Femi gasped quietly through her tears. All that time, Meela and Evy were the Parallel Stars? Parallel, as in their royal positions, reincarnations of a Princess and Wife. All that time, Meela knew exactly what she was after.

Evy's blood dripped onto the end of the flute. She watched Meela observe the Sadem Trah greedily and felt the strongest need to hurt her. Make her suffer. But the fact that she couldn't, that she was restrained, made it so much worse.

"The blood of the Parallel Stars..." Meela whispered.

And then, causing everyone to hold their breaths, Meela held the flute to her lips and closed her eyes to blow...

_Bang_

Meela jolted backwards and everyone jumped, alarmed. Femi and Evy looked round and saw Rick standing there. But no gun was in his hand. Seconds later, Jonathan stepped out into full view - _he_ was holding the gun.

"You kill my nephew - you can go to hell." Jonathan mumbled, deeply in sorrow still.

Femi and Evy looked back round at Meela. For some reason, Meela's eyes connected straight with Femi's as she felt herself falling to the ground. And just like that, Meela was dead... and it was all over.

Meela's eyes closed, and her last breathe escaped her foul lips. She was dead. The three men holding Femi and Evy didn't wait very long to run off with their tails between their legs. Rick walked up, through Evy and Femi, and picked up the small flute covered in blood. He looked at it, disgusted, before Evy walked over to him and buried herself in his arms to cry over her dead son.

_Dead_...


	54. The Finale

Femi was in between her father and her brother, who all had their arms around each other's backs comfortingly

Femi was in between her father and her brother, who all had their arms around each other's backs comfortingly. Evy and Rick were in front, Jonathan trailing behind them sadly. Every now and then throughout their travelling, Femi would daringly look up and glance at Alex's limp hand, or the back of his fuzzy head, or his legs, as Rick carried him protectively in his arms. No way would they just leave their son's body down there in the chamber. He needed a proper funeral.

Femi looked down again with another sad whimper. Her father turned his head and planted a delicate, sympathetic kiss to the side of her head and left his lips there for, just a moment, to whisper.

"I'm so sorry my darling..." He told her.

Femi closed her eyes and leant her head against his shoulder as they walked. The outside light was at the end of the tunnel. It had turned out that, when Jonathan had kicked the crack in the wall, Meela and her men were on the outside doing the exact same thing and when the sand flooded the chamber, it took them with it.

Rick was the first to step out into the blazing desert. He stopped, eyes closed, and lifted his head to inhale a thoughtful breath through his nostrils. Tears shimmered along his eyelashes. It was when Evy came up beside him and gingerly asked which direction they would go in, and what they were going to do next. Rick reluctantly set his son down on the ground - Femi was the first to perch herself beside him.

A dagger no longer protruded out of his beautiful heart, as Rick had refused to see his son any longer in such a disrespectful state. He was covered in blood. His eyes were now closed, also. Femi leant to the side, knees up, and sweetly started stroking the ash spikes of hair aside from Alex's dirty fringe.

"... I love you, Alex O'Connell. I always have... and I _always_ will." Femi whispered, so that no one else could hear.

But people had heard. Her father, Carter and Jonathan all shifted mournfully, either scuffing their feet, biting their lips, or clenching their fists, while Rick scanned the area with his teary eyes with Evy sobbing on his arm. They had lost a hero, and a young lady's heart as well.

"Now I know why," Femi sniffled, "Now I know why Meela was trying so hard to bring him back... nothing was going to stand in her way... to bring him back.."

This time, Femi had spoken aloud, as if to one of the 3 silent men behind her. Carter stepped up to volunteer and knelt down behind her where he placed a soothing hand on her trembling shoulder. The desert was scorching, but Femi still felt so cold.

"He's in a better place, Femi," Carter whispered, "There's no bringing him back... don't let your sorrow eat you away... he's not coming back. I know you would risk the whole world for it, but... he's..."

As Carter said all of this, Femi's woeful eyes ascended to the blue horizon, where she saw Rick's silhouetted hand in front of the golden sun take out a very precious instrument from his pocket. He held it in mid-air, jogging his hand, just staring at it angrily.

A spark went off within Femi. The most obvious facts suddenly flooded back to her, like a miracle, and she was so overwhelmed by what she had realised that her sudden, glorious gasp frightened everyone from their mourning.

"Femi?" Her father called, confused.

Femi was so caught up in excitement and hope that in her attempt to stand up properly she ended up wobbling all over the place and nearly falling over again. But with her brother's help, she succeeded on her second try, and didn't waste a second to run straight over to Rick.

"The song, the song, the army, a **wish**! You're granted **one **_**wish**_!!" Femi rambled like a crazy woman.

Rick and Evy exchanged odd looks, but Femi didn't wait for permission. She took the Sadem Trah from Rick's tanned, bloody hand and walked towards the sunlight, bringing it up to her lips. She was just about to blow it when the other 5 members of her party literally roared in disapproval and charged at her. Femi turned to meet them, smiling brightly.

"Don't you understand??" She laughed, and they all watched her, anxious and alarmed, "Meela wanted to call upon the Pharaoh's army to have her one wish granted - to bring Imhotep back from the _dead_! Anyone who raises the corpse army gets a single wish!!"

Evy gasped and looked up at Rick uncertainly. Jonathan and Carter exchanged happy smiles, whereas, Brian and Rick just narrowed their eyes unsurely.

"We can bring Alex back!" Femi announced, nodding vigorously.

"Femi..." Brian muttered, "As much as we want to... it's... well, it's"-

-"Putting the entire world at risk." Rick added for him, sighing guiltily.

Evy slapped his shoulder, "I would risk the entire world for you! Rick, that's our son lying on the ground! Our **son**!"

Rick closed his eyes shamefully and allowed his distressed wife to take out her disappointment on his shoulder with her dainty fists. Finally, he just stole her into a large hug and held her in place, allowing her to sob into his chest. Femi felt more tears rushing to her eyes.

"I know Alex would risk the world for us... we can do this. Please... We can bring him back!" Femi gasped, her voice cracking.

"We don't even know the side-effects of playing the Sadem Trah," Brian added, "No one else needs to get hurt..."

Femi shook her head angrily and stared at them all.

"You're all cowards," She whimpered, "We've been through so much already, together, and it's brought us closer than we could have hoped for. Why should this stop us?? Rick, Evy, I know for a fact that your son wanted to patch the tears between you all... Don't you want that?"

Everyone looked around at each other in a silent debate with what Femi was saying. She was inspiring them, she knew that much. Even Evy had lifted her wet face to look up at her.

"We have this moment. No one else can take it from us... we're protectors, a guardian, a reincarnated princess, an adventurer, an Egyptologist, and 2 young men who used to spend their days drinking and messing about, but have proved themselves to be worthy gentlemen... _true_ heroes." Femi cried calmly, tears flowing.

Carter and Jonathan puffed out their chests proudly at her words as she pointed to each of her friends. Her father was smiling at her now, with all the glory in the world. It made Femi feel like a star, one that could fly away.

"We've stuck together since day one... now, let's stick together again, one last time, to bring back one of our lost heroes." Femi whispered.

Evy gently pulled away from her husband and peered up at him, wearing a delicate smile. Rick smiled back and nodded, as did Brian, followed by Carter and Jonathan, leaving no one left. Femi inhaled a deep, preparative breath and brought up the golden Sadem Trah to hold it in front of her face.

"I'm the Guardian... I'll be the one to do it." She announced.

Brian took a step forwards with Rick and Carter, "Now hang on a second"-

"Daddy, please," Femi sighed, "I haven't come this far and accepted all of my powers just to stand back and watch... I want to do this. Please trust me. I... I _love_ him..."

It took a minute or so for Brian to decide, but once he had, he gave a sad nod of understand and stood back to wrap an arm around Carter's shoulders. Femi smiled gratefully before closing her eyes. The rough rim of the instrument met her lips. She breathed in...

One...

Two...

Three...

Femi blew-...

... But nothing came out?

Her eyes snapped open and her eyebrows furrowed in question. No sound came out of it at all. Inhaling another breath, she blew once more, but it was the same result. Nothing.

"Lemme' try." Rick sighed, and she handed it to him.

He blew, but the exact same thing happened - nothing at all. Next, Jonathan tried it, but not before Evy snatched it up angrily and blew with all her might so that her cheeks flushed adorably. Femi felt tears threatening her tired eyes again. Her heart was sinking, as she knew everyone else's was too.

"Dammit!" Rick cursed, and threw the flute to the sandy ground.

Evy released another tiny weep and leant into Rick again. Femi leant down, to kneel on the ground, and scooped up the flute in both hands, frowning, longing for an escape from reality at that very second. It wasn't working...

Seconds passed and turned into a minute. Two minutes. Everyone was just standing there in the quiet of the desert, as if hoping that the boiling sun would fry away their miseries.

Jonathan blinked a few times and lifted his head. No one else was looking, but he suddenly looked very curious and intrigued by something. It was when he started walking about and looking here and there that everyone else looked up and watched in wonder. What was he doing?

"Jonathan?" Evy asked.

Jonathan looked round at them all, "... Does anyone hear that?"

And just like that, it begun. A huge explosion came from behind them, behind Femi, and as she swirled round onto her backside upon the ground she was greeted with a huge cloud of sand 100 metres away from her, at the foot of a distant dune's slope.

"Oh my god..." Evy exhaled, stepping forwards, amazed, but Rick held her back.

"Yeah, real pretty, honey," Rick sarcastically added, stepping in front of her, "Don't go wandering off to pet the dead corpses now, k?"

Black, green, crusty, mouldy, deformed, rotting skeletal bodies started scrambling out of the pit with such speed and strength. They were screeching and roaring like monsters - but that was what they truly were. Not just dead bodies, but bodies under a curse of death and hatred, violence and anger. These weren't people anymore.

"Jesus... how many are there??" Carter snorted.

"More importantly," Brian intervened, "Where are they headed to?"

Everyone was stumped. All they could do was just watch the creatures charging off into the desert, starving for murder and blood...

... But across the desert, waiting at the foot of the rocky cliffs separating Chief's village from the sand, an army of men sat upon their gracious, wise horses, waiting and anticipating something. The men were dressed in black and had unusual tattoos on their half-hidden tanned faces. One man was by himself at the front line - the leader, Ardeth.

"Ardeth," One of his men called, and trotted up to him on his own horse, "'Dey are coming..."

Ardeth narrowed his eyes and clenched his fist on the hilt of his sword. His men could all now hear the rumbling and whispering cries in the distance from the approaching attack. Ardeth felt a strange wave of De Ja Vu sweep over him.

"It has started," He growled, "May 'de gods have mercy on us all..."

But as the Reynolds and O'Connell's continued to gape at the large bowl out of which the corpse army had descended from, all of a sudden, Rick felt a harsh burn against his palms and was forced to drop the Sadem Trah to the sand floor to stop his skin from sizzling off. Everyone gathered around it and peered down curiously; it was glowing, like a red hot poker.

Evy gasped, "It's asking for our wish!"

Rick looked up and around at his friends, "Are we all ready?"

"What do we do?" Jonathan gulped.

"Everyone think of the same wish. We don't actually know who the army answered to, as we all played the flute..." Brian explained intensely, "If we all wish the same thing, none of us can go wrong..."

Rick nodded, "Let's go."

Femi scrunched her eyes shut tightly and allowed her mind to fill with her deep desire of Alex's return. His smile. His cocky smile. All of their times together. Trains exploding. Wild horse races. Boat chases. Shark attacks. Gun shots. Crazy cars. Warm conversations. Arguments. _Romance_. He was all that everyone wanted...

**Ardeth drew his sword from his side and held it out in front of him. The army appeared as a long, black stampeded of insects sweeping over the sand dunes. It was chilling. Ardeth had been in a situation like this before, but he had forgotten just how distressing it really was.**

**  
"Reeeeaaadddyyyy yourseeeelves!" He roared.**

**  
The air filled with confident, raging cries and the sound of hissing swords being unleashed into the air. It was nearly time for combat...**

Jonathan clenched his fists tightly. Evy ignored her tears that were falling and made sure to concentrate hard on her one wish. Rick gritted his teeth.

**Ardeth inhaled a deep breath. His men lifted their heads proudly and refused to show any fear.**

Femi felt her heart shivering, begging, pleading for the gods to hear her wish and grant it. If Alex didn't return... if he didn't come back... how was she supposed to tell him she loved him?

**Ardeth released an announcing roar and shoved his sword mightily into the sky above his head. His men roared back and, accordingly, they charged off into the desert towards the corpse army approaching them in parallel. The wind rushed against their faces, and the land vibrated with pounding hoofs and stomping, crusty feet of the dead army. A war was about to take place, bigger than any known to man...**

An amazing gasp sliced through the intense silence. Everyone's eyes snapped open, and the group spun round to look down at Alex.

"Oh god!" Evy wept, beyond pleased.

Femi sobbed happily, "Alex!"

The two women ran to his side and threw themselves to the floor, while the other men gathered around the young man to watch him come back to life. It was amazing, terrifying, disturbing and so wonderful, all at the same time. Alex bolted upright with wide, teary eyes, a sweaty face, and his hands fidgeting all about his body as though he had no idea what was going on. He ripped open his bloody shirt and looked down just in time to see the knife wound in his chest, literally, closing up and disappearing!

"Holy shit..." Alex gulped, breathless - horrified.

**The two armies were only metres apart. The Medjai held out their swords confidently and braced themselves for the collision, and the corpse army screeched and clawed at the thin air furiously. They couldn't wait to start shredding people apart.**

"You gave us quite a scare, old chap." He nodded.

Rick smiled, "Let the kid breathe, honey, we want him alive remember?"

Everyone laughed and Evy released her son to look at him lovingly.

"Wha-- where's Meela??" Alex gulped.

Femi smiled, "Dead... and you're _not_."

Alex suddenly noticed her kneeling there, and his eyes softened, and his breathing calmed.

"Femi... But- how??" He stuttered.

Femi laughed, "Oh, it doesn't matter, Alex! All that matters is you're alive! ... You're here now..."

But it was then that Rick's smile suddenly dropped and he turned to look out into the horizon worriedly. Instantly, he leapt over Femi, who nearly tumbled down onto her back if it weren't for Alex's trusty hand, and he snatched up the Sadem Trah viciously in his hands.

"What is it??" Evy asked anxiously.

"We gotta' destroy this thing - maybe it'll take it's damn curse with it." Rick growled, trying to snap it in half.

**Ardeth felt his heart skip a beat. He had been living a long, dangerous life. Maybe now was the end of his adventure...**

**  
**Each of the party members were taking turns in trying to snap or stomp on the Sadem Trah with a hope of destroying it. All except Femi and Alex, who were still upon the ground, and now just gazing at each other affectionately. They ignored the shouting from Carter and the bickering between Evy and Rick over which way to stomp. It was just them, in their own world now. Alex was _back_.

Femi pushed herself onto her knees and shuffled over to Alex's side. He took up her hands in his own and she kissed the back of his delicately. They were so distracted by each other, so caught up in each other's company once more, that they were oblivious to the surreal, red ash that had started falling from the sky, from nowhere. Unlike their fellow party members, who were now stopping to watch the oddity, Alex and Femi were lost in each other.

"You saved me, lady." Alex whispered, stroking a dark curl back from her bruised cheek.

Femi smiled, giving a single nod, "Well I guess we're even now... right?"

Brian took out his dagger from his back pocket and snatched the Sadem Trah from Carter's trembling hands.

**The corpse army sprinted over the last dune that separated them from the Medjai's.**

**  
**It was like a miracle. As the red snow, or ash, or _whatever_ it was, landed upon the Sadem Trah, it actually began to burn it away like acid. It had a bad reaction. Brian dropped it to the ground and watched it sizzle away, whilst also watching the red ash cautiously - would it burn them, too? Well, clearly not, as if it would then it would have done so by now.

"Bloody Nora!" Jonathan yelled in a cheerful tone, "That's what the old chap said back at the fire, in Chief's village. He looked into the fire and said something like, when the red snow falls... when it falls, there'll be awakenings. Bloody hell, he was talking about Alex!"

Rick, Evy and Brian didn't quite understand, but Alex, Femi and Carter all smiled at each other in amazement. That old nutter really _could_ predict the future in a fire??

**Just as the Medjai and the corpse army were about to collide, the charging, screaming corpses exploded into dusts of ash and bone that passed through the Medjai like a storm cloud. The Sadem Trah had been destroyed.**

A furious vibrating came from the ruins of Akhar. Although all Femi and Alex wanted to do was sit with each other and just appreciate their time together, they were interrupted by Brian and Rick, who ran over to them and literally dragged them across the floor until they managed to stand themselves up and run independently.

"What's happening?!" Femi cried.

"The chamber! It's linked to the flute's existence!" Evy yelled back, clinging to Rick's hand.

**Jonathan laughed, "Bloody brilliant, thanks for telling us that before!"**

**"De ruins... 'dey are collapsing." Ardeth's friend mumbled, more to himself than aloud.**

**Ardeth narrowed his eyes at a few specks in the distance, running towards them, "... It seems our friends are responsible. Why am I not surprised?"**

**He and his friend laughed softly, and then kicked their horses, and broke out into another gallop down the dune.**

Femi's foot suddenly slipped in the sand and she clumsily fell face-down onto the ground. The others skidded to a stop to wait for her, and of course, Alex was the one who actually turned and came to pick her up. But Jonathan's eyes grew and he pointed.

"Oh dear..." He muttered.

"Get down!" Rick roared.

Alex flew to the ground beside Femi and he brought her into a strong hug on their knees, just as a thick wave of sand washed over them and their friends, taking them from sight...

... It seemed just seconds had passed when the thundering of collapsing rock and sand drifted to a silence. Femi and Alex wait a second longer before feeling it was safe to lift their heads and look around. There was a light breeze still dancing around them, and as they watched the remaining red ash float by and down around them, they spotted their companions not too far away scattered in the sand. Everyone was safe. Thank goodness.

As Alex helped Femi to stand to her feet, they suddenly heard the excited, splendid cheering coming from the Medjai that came bursting through the creamy air towards them all. Brian helped Carter to stand, as Rick did Evy, and poor old Jonathan was left just to wipe himself down again. Typical.

The Medjai warriors galloped around the 7 heroes while cheering, singing and laughing festively in celebration to the end of their burdens. It was over. All over, now. Egypt was safe, once again, thanks to the morals of just a few normal, every-day people.

Alex and Femi joined in with their friends in laughing and waving at the Medjai as they passed. But Femi soon felt Alex slip his arms around her waist, and so she turned to face him and, smiling playfully, moved her hands up his chest until she found the collar of his shirt and gripped it in her fists.

"So, Mr. O'Connell," Femi sighed, looking up at him, "What's _your_ story?"

Alex's smile grew a little and then he snickered a short laugh. Femi giggled with him and then leant up, allowing Alex to stroke her hair back, and went to press her lips to his-

"Hey," Rick's voice interrupted, and they pulled back, "Come on now, kids, not in front of your _old men_, huh?..."

Femi blushed slightly, but when Rick gave them a cheeky wink she knew he was only playing about, and started laughing with Alex. Alex waved his hand dismissively at his 'old man', and suddenly spun Femi away and lowered her down backwards in a dancing stance.

"Wanna' know what heaven looks like?" Alex asked quietly.

Femi smiled, but not a playful nor amused smile. It was deep, and warm, and so serious that it made Alex's heart melt again. Just like it did every time. She moved her hand up onto his dirty cheek and stroked her thumb against the corner of his lips.

"I'm looking at it." She whispered back.

And this time, they really did kiss. And you'll be glad to know, folks, that Jonathan actually got a really heart-felt hug to celebrate with - from his new buddy Carter. Rick kissed his wife, and Brian smiled at seeing how happy his daughter was.

"Happy endings are so cliche," He snorted, "... But you've gotta' love them."

He chuckled to himself and walked up to Carter and Jonathan to clap them on the shoulders. They turned, cheering, and the 3 of them wrapped their arms around each other's backs to head off towards Rick, Evy and the 2 new lovebirds - the Medjai were still cheering.

_And that, my dear friends, is the end of that. Every story has to come to an end... but hey - who knows when the next one will begin, huh? Heh heh._

--

**Bwuahahah, I bet I had you all fooled huh?? I was going to leave it until a little longer to see how many people would review and complain, cry or flame about Alex's death, but I just couldn't wait. I knew you were all waiting anxiously to see what twist or catch there would be. I hope you liked it heh, heh.**

**So... it's finished. Come to an end. Done. I truly, deeply want to thank **_**all **_**of you for being so loyal. This last episode was for all of you who have stuck by Femi, Alex and the 2 goofs from the very beginning until now. It's been magical writing this, and I really do hope it's been just as magical for you when reading it. It's over now... **

**The end.**

**But hey, as the "narrator" said - who knows when the next beginning will arrive?**

**Peace.**

**HyalineReverie, A.K.A - **_**Gwen**_** x**


	55. BLOOPERS AND EXTRAS

**_Banners:__ I know all of you want to know how I imagined Femi and Alex to look. Femi is played by Kiera Knightley, and Alex is Hayden Christensen. Hope that doesn't ruin your perception of them!_**

**Chapter 1 - In the museum**

"Aaaaaand action!" Cries the director.

"Where were we?" Carter flirtatiously asks the woman beside her.

The redheaded girl smiles and snakes her arms over Carter's shoulders, "I think... just here."

They both smile and start kissing each other hungrily for the camera. As their hands begin roaming upon each other's bodies, Carter picks the woman up around her waste and walks her over towards the back of the dark, little room they had entered.

However, all of a sudden, his feet tangle, and the two of them break apart with startled laughter as they clatter to the floor out of the camera's view. Someone curses worriedly from behind the camera, and Carter sticks his hand into the air as to announce their safety. Everyone laughs.

**Chapter 2 - Escaping in the taxi**

"Action!" Shouts the Director.

"It's a chase, now." Carter pants dramatically.

Femi turns on Carter and suddenly swipes her hand out to slap it into the side of his head - unfortunately for him, she accidentally strikes him a little _too_ hard and he flinches back, gasping. Femi gasps and wraps her arms around him.

"I'm so sorry!" She laughs.

"Abuse! Abuse by my own sister!" Carter plays along.

Laughter can be heard from behind the camera.

**Chapter 3 - At the mansion**

Femi and Carter have just stopped before the front door of their father's house to discover it wide open. The camera shot films the open doorway to build the tension. Everything is going perfectly... and then, out of nowhere, the cleaner wanders past whilst mopping the floor, with his headphones blaring against his ears. Femi laughs, whilst Carter leans into the camera's frame and raises a strong, inquisitive eyebrow.

"Cut!" The director laughs.

**Chapter 3 - At the safe**

Carter and Femi stand before their father's safe. Femi waits for the director's order before reaching out and pretending to twist the code into the lock. She tries to pull the door open... but it won't budge. All the while, Carter is eyeing the camera lens warily, with a comical look in his eyes. Femi finally gives up by leaning her head against the door and snorting out a light laugh. Carter frowns dramatically at the camera, and everyone laughs.

**Chapter 4 - Arriving at "Widdlecove Drive"**

Femi looks over at Carter, "Where are we?"

Carter looks up, over the steering wheel, and squints his eyes. After a few seconds, Femi smiles secretly to herself and anticipates the moment when Carter will admit:

"I'd love to tell you, but I forgot my line." He finally announces.

Laughter erupts from behind the camera and Femi shakes her head playfully, hugging Carter.

**Chapter 5 - Meeting Rick at the door**

"Action!" Announces the happy Director.

The camera looks over Carter's shoulder to watch the front door slowly open. Rick takes one glance at the two guests on his doorstep and then grimaces furiously, leaps back, and slams the door in their faces again. Femi and Carter peer round at the camera sheepishly. A few quiet laughs could be heard from back stage.

"And cut!"

**Chapter 6 - Evy's explanation**

Evy shoots Rick an impatient look, "Not so fast, Rick. Yes, it awakes the dead, but only to those that were sang to by its partner, the Sadeemeque Trah, when they were laid in their graves. The Sadeemeque Trah - which means the Song of Death-Keeper, and oh dear _**god**_ I've completely forgotten this damn line again!"

Evy's hands fling to the sides of her frustrated head and she stomps her foot. Femi laughs lightly beside her.

**Chapter 6 - Reaction from everyone after hearing the smash from the front door**

"Marker." The crewman quotes, and clips the zebra gate shut in front of the camera.

The black and white gate disappears from the frame and the camera zooms out to fit all of the actors in: Femi, Carter, Evy, Rick and Jonathan. They wait for the director's call.

"And, _smassssshhhh_!" He shouts the onomatopoeia.

Everyone gasps and spins their heads round in pretend shock. They freeze, gaping fearfully at the doorway.

"Grandma...?" Rick stupidly quivers.

Laughter fills the studio.

**Chapter 7 - Getting into the car**

Jonathan rushes up to the driver's side of the car and attempts to skilfully swing the door open and slide inside, but to his dismay, as he slams it shut behind him, it closes upon the sleeve of his shirt and produces a long, loud rip in the material. Jonathan pauses and looks to the camera with a playfully nervous look on his face. Everyone laughs.

**Chapter 7 - Femi on why she couldn't go into the King of Spades with Jonathan and Carter**

"Action!" The director clears his throat.

Femi gasps into her role and signals to her messy self, "A cut and bloody face, torn trousers, a swollen ankle with one shoe missing..."- Femi unexpectedly changes her emotional expression and pretends to start crying, and blabbers out an unclear sentence "I'm a complete disaster, I hate myself! I HATE myself! WWwaaaahhhh-ha-ha-haaa!"

Carter and Jonathan laugh with the applause and cheer of the crew behind the camera, and Femi quickly cuts off her dramatic acting, and smiles cockily at the lens.

**Chapter 8 - Alex, Carter and Jonathan approaching the car**

"Action!" The director's voice projects through the speakerphone.

The 3 men sink into their character roles and walks towards the car by the curb. As Jonathan and Carter swerve about in a drunken manner, Alex, a perfectly _sober_ character, suddenly staggers upon the damp path and drops to the floor out of sight with a loud curse. Light snorts can be heard from behind the camera as Jonathan and Carter stop walking to peer down at him.

**Chapter 8 - Femi trying to pronounce her lines properly**

"Marker." The crewman chirps, snapping the gate.

Femi is busy taking deep breaths, eyes closed, and hands slowly fanning her face. She is muttering her lines over and over to herself.

"Get ready for it. In your own time, Femi!" The director supportively tells her.

Femi nods and wriggles confidently in her seat. She sits still and produces an expression of dry anger... Everyone waits… and waits... and waits... Alex tries to hold back a smile of amusement. Finally, Femi yells out, and flies back in her seat.

"Where is the script writer? I'm going to _murder _her!" She sarcastically growls.

"Ok, take a break, guys." The director laughs.

**Chapter 9 - "Wow... You're a complete mess."**

"Action!" The director announces from the back of the set.

"Wow." Alex snickers, eyeing Femi up and down.

Femi blushes accordingly and tucks a curl behind her ear, "Mr. O'Connell, I think you shoul"-

"You're a *beeeeeep* *beeeeeep* *beeeeep*!" Alex exclaims and suddenly pulls her to him playfully in a moment of "passion".

Femi screams, laughing, and the two of them hug each other whilst looking to the camera. The crew laugh on the set, and Jonathan smiles suggestively at the camera.

Cut!

**Chapter 10 - "I'll Be Gentle"**

"Action!" The director calls.

Alex looks up from Femi's hand and sends her a charming, flirtatious little smile, "I'll be gentle..."

He then jogs his eyebrows up suggestively and causes Femi to burst out laughing. He chuckles with the crew behind the camera and receives a playful slap on the arm from Femi.

_Take 2_

Alex calmly looks up from Femi's hand and smiles warmly, "Don't worry, I'll be gentle..."

Alex upholds his acting very well - it's _Femi_, this time, who can't hold the moment, and starts laughing under her breath. Alex smiles in success.

"Cut!"

**Chapter 11 - Alex using up the last of the coffee**

Femi scowls, "I thought you said you had no more coffee..."

Alex goes to pour the remains of the coffee granules into his cup, but it accidentally slips from his grasp, and spills to the floor. Alex freezes, glances at the camera, and Femi laughs at him.

He clears his throat, "Well, now we don't."

**Chapter 12 - Alex's handsome transformation**

"Action!" The director sings.

Femi jumps and leans forwards in her chair to look round at Alex ... She freezes, unsure as to how to take the joke. Alex is wearing an Ali G costume and has a cigar in his mouth.

"Wa'gwan." He stupidly greets her.

The crew suddenly go wild behind the camera, and Femi shakes her head as she laughs and glares at the lens. They had obviously planned this.

**Chapter 12 - Walking into the station lobby**

The camera is positioned in front of the glass door inside the station lobby. Alex, Femi, Carter and Jonathan are waiting in their positions to go, chattering, and joking around. The gate snaps, and the director calls action. The 4 of them switch into their roles and walk towards the door, but as Alex pushes it, expecting it to open easily, he painfully collides into the glass and stumbles back into the others. He glares at the door in confusion whilst everyone else laughs at him - it was a prank.

**Chapter 13 - Arriving in the first class compartment**

"Action!" The director calls.

"Well, this is bloody convenient, aye?" Jonathan laughs, admiring the room with the others.

All of a sudden, one of the crewmen jumps up against the door behind them wearing the mask of The Mummy's corpse and slams his hands against the windows. Alex, Femi, Carter and Jonathan all yell out in fear and either fall _out_ of the open, artificial carriageway, or drop to the ground in shock.

"Alex... I am your father." The crewman quotes in a deep, breathless voice.

**Random Clips of Femi's clumsiness**

_Femi's Apartment_

"Shutup and Run, Carter!" Femi cries after seeing more men in black enter the hallway.

She turns and runs past Carter, but topples over right away onto her stomach. Carter looks down at her and blinks, and smiles up at the camera in amusement.

_On The Train_

"Action!"

Femi breaks out into a run down the train's isle behind Carter and Jonathan, but alas, catches her feet on the carpet and crumbles to the ground beside one of the seats. Carter and Jonathan leave her there, unaware...

_At Erk's mansion - the stables_

Femi pats the side of the horse's neck, "Alright, help me out, Acorn."

Femi wanders backwards and grips onto the hair of the horse's main. She inhales a sharp breath before leaping up against the side of its stomach and managing to kick her right foot up onto its back. However, her left foot slips upon the floor, and she falls backwards onto the ground with a loud yelp.

_Erk's Mansion, escaping through the smoke bombs_

"Queue smoke!" The Director calls, and the technician activates the smoke machines.

The room slowly begins to fill with smoke.

"Action!" He calls accordingly.

Alex tugs on Femi's hand, "Just follow me!"

He turns around and runs off with Femi behind him, but didn't make it far. Femi's clumsy feet lose their grip upon the marble floor and she skids about flawlessly as though on ice, and then plomps down onto her knees. Alex spins around to see what had happened and laughs at her, down on the ground, with the other extra actors around them.

_Ambushed on the beach_

Alex has just been "stabbed" by a spear. Camera zooms up on Femi's dramatic reaction.

"ALEX!" She screams.

Femi makes to run but the ground beneath her shifts mischievously and she crashes face-first into the sand. Everyone starts laughing.

"My hero." Alex's laughing voice can be heard offset.

_Dancing in the village_

The camera tracks Femi as she follows around in the circle, kicking her legs, and singing along to the song. But, typically, Femi's ankle randomly bends to the side and she falls down onto the ground; the camera travels on without her.

"Where'd Femi go?" She hears the director mumble.

_Interview with Alex O'Connell and Carter Reynolds_

"Oh, Femi..." Carter hisses, smiling to himself.

The woman interviewing them had obviously just asked about her. They grin at each other.

"That girl's got quite a pair of, uh... _interestingly _balanced legs." Alex sarcastically chuckles.

Carter laughs and shifts in his seat, rubbing the back of his woolly hat, "Yeah, yeah, I have to say that in all the movies I've worked with, Femi beats 'em all. We'd run and suddenly it'd be, like, 'Femi? Where's Femi', then you look on the floor and it's: 'Damn! She's down again!'"

The two young actors laugh with each other and shake their heads.

**Chapter 23 - Meela and Femi Fight **

The Director holds his speakerphone up, "And action!"

Femi and Meela are _supposed _to begin fighting, but they are still in a deep conversation. They look very interested by each other's' hairstyles.

"Action?" The Director snaps.

The two women look round and blink owlishly at the camera.

**Chapter 26 - Jonathan and the Llama**

The camera is still running whilst the director speaks to Femi about what he wants her to do in the next shot. Jonathan wanders up to one of the Llamas and smiles goofily.

"Hello, sweetness." He cooes.

The Llama responds by gurgling loudly and bearing it's teeth, and Jonathan jumps back, gasping. He looks to the camera with embarrassment and fixes his collar.

**Chapter 28 - Leaving Erk's house**

The camera is positioned beside Femi and Carter as they stand outside Erk's house. The camera is rolling, and they are smiling at each other. Just then, a loud rumbling echoes from the sky and they look up curiously.

"What kind of a plane is _that_?"Carter asks in shock.

"Virgin airways. It's not invented yet." Femi comically informs him.

**Chapter 34 - In the swimming pool (the ocean)**

Femi, Alex, Jonathan and Carter bob upon the surface of the coloured water and watch the director in the boat behind the camera.

"Action." He utters, nodding encouragingly.

They all gasp at the sight of a large, grey fin that glides past them. Carter's hand accidentally swipes out and knocks into it and removes it from the back of the stuntman who was swimming beneath the water. Carter snatches it up and smiles at the camera whilst the others laugh.

"It's a fake!" He exclaims, "By jove!"

Cut!

**Chapter 38 - The Chief becomes panicked**

The Chief is supposed to jump up angrily, and leap over the small fire to crouch beside Femi. Instead, he leaps up, and catches his left foot on the end of his long robe. The Chief's arms flail about in his attempt to sustain his balance, and just as Femi and Jonathan scramble up to catch him, he falls back onto the ground. Femi and Jonathan look to the camera guiltily.

Cut!

**Chapter 39 - Meela arrives in Egypt with Rick, Evy and Richard **

Meela turns around to face the camera and smirks into the distance, "I know you all must be so frustrated, but honestly, there's no need to be. You'll all see your little 'babies' in no time... I assure you."

Meela chuckles darkly. Her eyes grow madly and her hands lift, as her laugh increases in volume and enthusiasm. Finally, she is throwing her head back, and roaring evilly to the sky like an insane professor. Rick, Evy and Richard start laughing behind her, as do the extras holding them captive.

**Random Amusement**

_Scene 1_

One of The Chief's villagers strolls past the camera on their break. They are still in full costume and make up, but have a cigarette pinched in one hand, and are holding their mobile phone to their ear in the other whilst laughing with the person on the other end of line.

_Scene 2_

As the villagers, Femi, Alex, Carter and Jonathan begin to dance with the cast members, the director and 4 other crew members leap into the crowd and begin dancing tactlessly with them. What a joke.

_Scene 3_

The little girl who plays the younger Femi in her memories is standing in front of the camera. The director is talking to the woman playing the role of Femi's mother. The little girl, thinking that no one is watching, sticks her finger up her left nostril and begins to pick it... Aw, cute...?

_Scene 4_

The set is currently busy, as the set designers, prop managers and the director plus crew walk around checking things and setting everything in place, in the underground tomb where Meela's death takes place. Alex strolls into view of the camera and suddenly notices it standing there, so he waves in a hyper way - he is, however, covered in fake blood and has a plastic dagger glued to the front of him.

"Hi mum!" He goofily calls.

**Chapter 39 - Alex and Femi in the Chief's Tent**

"Action." The director calmly announces.

"...Thank you." Femi whispers softly.

Alex pulls Femi up to her feet where they are so close that their noses are nearly touching. Femi stares up into his eyes, just as Alex stares back. All of a sudden, Alex wraps his arms around Femi, and throws her back in a tango stance, nuzzling his lips to her neck. Femi screams out a laugh within his embrace and the crew applauded the joke. Alex soon recomposes himself and Femi slaps his arm playfully; but no doubt, there is some warmth between them...

**Chapter 40 - Meet Lhukman**

"Action!"

Lhukman stops in front of Femi and bows his head. But, going against what the director has asked for, Lhukman then pounds his fist against his chest.

"Me, Tarzan," He then points to Femi, "You, Jane."

Femi and the others start laughing.

**Chapter 41 - Meeting Ardeth Bay... **_**again**_

Ardeth smiles warmly at Alex, "You have grown since our last meeting, Alex..."

Ardeth's eyes purposely glance down at Alex's buckle and back up again. Ardeth then lifts his eyebrows seductively and holds the expression until Alex finally can't ignore it any longer, and spins away, laughing in disgust. Ardeth grins goofily.

Cut!

**Chapter 44 - Alex sitting at the campfire**

Alex takes another swig from the alcohol in his cup and swallows. He keeps glaring across the fire at Lhukman talking with Femi.

"Bitch," He hisses, assumingly at Lhukman, "She stole my man."

The crew wail with laughter.

**Chapter 44 - Lhukman dies**

Femi looks down and imagines that she is looking at Lhukman's dead body. She stares in utter despair, tears flowing, with a ghostly coldness in her eyes. The director is really getting into it, when Lhurkman's head rises over the fake cliff edge just so that the top part of his head and his eyes can be seen. As Femi does her emotional, silent crying, his eyes dart left and right curiously; everyone begins laughing without Femi realising.

**Chapter 45 - Ardeth and Femi on the horse**

The camera, facing Femi and Ardeth, slowly glides backwards as they stroll forwards on their means of transport. Femi parts her lips to whisper her next line when, suddenly, their camels heaves a mighty gurgle, and burps, making Femi jump, and Ardeth blink. They look to the camera and aren't sure whether to laugh or grimace and hold their noses.

**Chapter 46 - Femi and Ardeth see Hamunaptra**

Ardeth narrows his eyes as he pretends to be witnessing the birth of the ancient Hamunaptra in the desert's golden horizon.

"Hamunaptra..." He whispers.

Femi bolts upright, "Hamun- AHHH!"

In her attempt to sit up with such excitement, she accidentally loses her balance and falls over sideways - fortunately, thought, Ardeth catches her so that she's only hanging halfway. He shakes his head while smiling.

**47 - Ardeth rescues Femi, Rick and Brian**

Femi, Rick and Brian are still all chained to the stone posts of the ruins of the city. There is supposed to be a gunshot from Ardeth, freeing them, but it never comes... Finally, Brian looks over curiously. Ardeth is standing there, in a sulk, holding the broken gun in 2 pieces.

"Some rescue." Rick snorts.

"No one informed me this was a low-budget project..." Ardeth whispers, smiling.

Cut!

**48 - Carter reveals to Meela where the Diamond Heart is**

"They don't have it." Carter blurted out.

Meela narrowed her eyes at him in suspicion, "... And how would you know that?"

"Because," He gulped, "... It's in Jonathan's bed."

He then looked to Jonathan and smiled sadly, romantically... so affectionately that it almost seemed real!

"Oh, no, no! Carter, oh good god!" Jonathan suddenly burst out laughing in disgust.

The cast started laughing, but Carter just kept smiling sweetly at Jonathan until the director called cut.

**49 - Alex and Femi kissing**

Alex and Femi are in the middle of a passionate kiss, but then they start to soften and change their behaviour to the way that the director wishes.

"Ok, cut for a moment guys!" He calls out.

But... neither of them obey. They just sort of... keep kissing... softly, tenderly, in a trance. The director clears his throat and looks around at his crew members uncertainly; no one knows quite what to do. Perhaps this wasn't just an on-screen romance?

**50 - Femi Opening the secret door**

Femi opened her eyes. They were glazed over with a milky screen. Her hazel irises were no longer so bold in colour, but faded... distant. She was hypnotised.

"Bloody Nora...!" Jonathan heaved in astonishment.

Femi lifted her hands, "Alohamora!"

"I think you need a wand for that movie, sweet-cakes." Jonathan teased.

Everyone bursts out laughing.

**51 - Alex, Rick, Jonathan and unconscious Femi underground**

Just as Rick was about to say something back to Jonathan, his attention was stolen away by the next approaching problem:

A fork in the pathway.

The group stopped at the end of their path and looked left and right cluelessly. Each direction was identical. Dark, cold, and smelly. The silence was never-ending and tense. Which way would they turn?

All of a sudden, an enormous roaring came from the darkness of the turning on the right, and running out came one of the crew in a Texas Chainsaw Massacre costumer with a fake chainsaw. Everyone screamed out loud in absolute fright, and poor "unconscious" Femi was dropped to the floor in Alex's surprise.

The set runner pulled off his mask to reveal his laughing face, and the actors all glared at the camera as the Director laughed his ass off in the background. Femi, however, was pouting and rubbing her sore behind.

**52 - Rick treads on the booby-trap activator**

Femi clenched her fists desperately, "It's a booby-trap!"

Just as Rick turned round to face her, his foot landed on a small, square pedal that was _supposed_ to sink down into the ground with a soft scraping sound - but instead, it simply broke off to the side beneath his boot. Paused in a cynical silence, Rick looks up at the people behind the camera and shakes his head.

"I can't work like this." He mutters dryly.

Sniggers can be heard from behind the camera.

**52 - Alex and Femi's moment in the rising Sand-Trap**

The cold, old sand was coming up to their chests, now. It was going to be only a matter of seconds that would draw the line between their deaths, or their success. Femi squeezed Alex's hand and they exchanged gentle smiles.

"See you in a minute." Alex told her.

At this point, Femi was supposed to take her cue to swim over to Alex and kiss him, but instead she turned the other way and wrapped her arms around Rick O'Connell!

"Dad - you girlfriend stealer!" Alex cried out, going along with the prank.

Everyone but the Director was laughing.

"You all know this is low-budget! Trust me to cast the pranksters of the movie business..." Shaking his head, he called cut and sand stopped flowing into the set.

**53 - Alex's death**

A tear fell from Femi's chin and trickled down his wrist.

"I d-don't want... to lose... you." He whispered.

And then, without giving Femi any time to say her last words, Alex released his last breath and his eyes dropped, along with his hand. Femi's heart shrivelled. Her stomach was on fire with burning acid. Her mind swelling. She leant over him to cry and cry, and cry for all eternity...

Femi waited for Meela's entrance into the scene... but she never came. Now confused with the loss of script schedule, she looked up to break from her acting. Everyone on set was watching - including the other actors. They were watching as if touched from the very bottom of their hearts; she looked back down at Alex, whose eyes were now open.

"Femi Reynolds - I know this is a bad time, and all, what with the fake blood and dagger sticking out of me ... but… um... will you marry me?" He asked charmingly, smiling genuinely.

The whole crew gasped. This was no act... Femi didn't know what to do at first, but eventually, she returned a smile. Everyone knew what that meant!

**54 - Ardeth and his army about to charge into Battle**

**Ardeth drew his sword from his side and held it out in front of him. The army appeared as a long, black stampeded of insects sweeping over the sand dunes. It was chilling. Ardeth had been in a situation like this before, but he had forgotten just how distressing it really was.**

**"Reeeeaaadddyyyy yourseeeel- aghck!"**

**Ardeth's mighty roaring was interrupted as he chocked suddenly and started coughing and spluttering, holding his throat. Finally, with a gulp, he gasped a breath ****of air. These damn exotic flies!**

**55 - The Finale and happy ending**

The Medjai warriors galloped around the 7 heroes while cheering, singing and laughing festively in celebration to the end of their burdens. It was over. All over, now. Egypt was safe, once again, thanks to the morals of just a few normal, every-day people.

Alex and Femi joined in with their friends in laughing and waving at the Medjai as they passed... and that was when the rest of the unoccupied crew members all ran onto the set and started to join in. Dancing, waving, galloping around the sandy set on each other's backs. Everyone was laughing at each other while also looking worriedly at the Director who was clearly at his last straw of patience!

**Short Interview with Director, Stephen Sommers, and Writer, Gwen.**

Interviewer: So, Gwen, how do you feel about Stephen's adaptation of your story?

Gwen: Oh, I'm thrilled. My worry when writing _The Mummy Returns, Again _is that it would land in the hands of someone who had a different vision to mine. Writers all have this dream that as they write, they vision it at the same time, but more than often this never happens. But Stephen did perfectly. He was brilliant. I mean, when we had our meeting he was so passionate about continuing the essence of the Mummy journeys that he allowed me to co-direct beside him on many of the scenes that he felt were most important to keeping it alive. I'm not sure what the audience will say when the film comes out, but I'm happy.

Stephen: You had better be, after all the nagging you did!

(Laughter)

Interview: Ah, so you were on his case quite a lot were you?

Gwen: (laughing) As a dedicated story teller, you have to be! I was just lucky enough to find a Director as good as Stephen.

Stephen: You can stop the flattery now - the film is done.

Interviewer: What would you say was the most challenging part to make of the film?

Stephen: All of them.

Gwen: (laughing) Well, yes, they were all quite tough to be honest. Especially when you have such an eccentric cast I mean. We all got on so well and felt so comfortable that pranks were totally unavoidable, but then that's what makes making a movie so precious. I have to say, though, the most difficult parts for _me _was the stunts. In a book, it's completely different to actually turning them into moving-pictures. Stephen was great with that.

Stephen: Gwen's imagination was truthful, and I needed to present that in the film. Stunts and action scenes are what really keeps the audience's faith alive. If they look cool, my job is done. The emotional stuff was all really down to Gwen.

Interviewer: Speaking of emotions - how about that proposal hey? Alex and Femi?

Stephen and Gwen: Yes!

Gwen: How perfect! It's like my dream came alive when they fell in love throughout the making of the film.

Stephen: I think we all started seeing the spark, and then the scenes became too real. Off set they were always together - talking, playing games, helping each other rehearse. Inseparable. We all expected them to go somewhere with it all, but not a proposal on set!

Interview: I think it's by far one of the biggest gossips of the magazines right now. I mean, actors fall for each other on set but it's never been done so openly before right?

Stephen: Absolutely. I think it's fantastic. When real love is on the screen it's totally different from acting - even if you're the top class actor from all the best schools. Nothing beats real love.

_**Gwen's Notes:**__** I started doing these a few months after finishing The Mummy. Even though this story was not from my own creation, I feel it is one of the most successful materials I have produced. I look back and smile thinking of when I was writing this story, and all of you were so fantastic. Thank you for your support, and for keeping it alive. I have been inspired to start my own story, of the action/romance genre, that one day I hope to get published. Wish me luck! Once again, you're all brilliant. Mwuah x**_


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